{"id":36388,"date":"2026-08-31T14:27:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/?p=36388"},"modified":"2026-08-31T14:28:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:28:37","slug":"doav-honors-the-2026-virginia-aviation-award-recipients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/virginia\/doav-honors-the-2026-virginia-aviation-award-recipients\/%20","title":{"rendered":"DOAV Honors the 2026 Virginia Aviation Award Recipients"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo – The 2026 Virginia Aviation Award Winners, from left \u2013 John Rutledge, Del. Karrie Delaney, Mike Michel, Greg Campbell, Cindy Watson, Michael Cooper<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nestled in the historic corridor of Colonial Virginia, attendees gathered at the Williamsburg Lodge on August 19th, for one of its most noteworthy ceremonies: the Virginia Aviation Awards. The Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV) brought together airport leaders, educators, and lifelong champions of flight, in its annual banquet to celebrate the residents that have elevated the industry. This year\u2019s ceremony is another chapter added to Virginia\u2019s historic role in aviation \u2014 a field built not merely on aircraft or runways, but on the unrecognized roles of the people who work in the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOAV Director Greg Campbell captured the spirit of the evening in his remarks to attendees saying, \u201cUnlike the roads we travel, the sky holds no historical markers. There are no signs to tell us who has passed this way before… The Commonwealth\u2019s aviation legacy lives on through the stories we tell of the enterprising individuals who built this industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 Virginia Aviation Awards honored the following individuals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airport Executive of the Year<\/strong> – John Rutledge – Richmond, VA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Rutledge, Chief Operating Officer of Richmond International Airport (RIC), was recognized as \u201cAirport Executive of the Year.\u201d For more than two decades, he has overseen the airport\u2019s operations, engineering, planning, and public safety functions, helping guide RIC through periods of growth and transformation. Through long-range planning and strategic improvements, Rutledge has guided the airport\u2019s competitive position and reinforced its role as a regional economic engine. His unique combination of engineering expertise and financial acumen has seen the airport\u2019s passengers count grow year-after-year and set a high standard for airport leadership across Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Delegate Delaney addresses the audience while accepting the award for \u201cPerson of the Year\u201d<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Person of the Year<\/strong> – Delegate Karrie Delaney \u2013 Fairfax County, VA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delegate Karrie Delaney, who represents the 9th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, was awarded the \u201cPerson of the Year\u201d award. As Chair of the House Transportation Committee and a member of the Governor\u2019s Aerospace Advisory Council, she plays a central role in shaping statewide transportation and aviation policy. Delegate Delaney has been a driving force in modernizing Virginia\u2019s transportation and aviation systems, championing legislation to improve aviation infrastructure and improved funding across the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Educator of the Year<\/strong> – Cindy Watson \u2013 Bedford County, VA<\/p>\n\n\n

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The inaugural winner of the \u201cEducator of the Year\u201d award, Cindy Watson<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cindy Watson, a middle school teacher at Forest Middle School, was the inaugural recipient of the Virginia Aviation Awards\u2019 \u201cEducator of the Year.\u201d A master teacher with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, Watson has inspired students for more than a decade through NASA-aligned programs and hands-on STEM education. She also founded the Forest Drone Zone, bringing aviation and emerging technologies to life while inspiring the next generation of pilots, scientists, engineers, and aviation professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lifetime Achievement Awards<\/strong> – Mike Mickel \u2013 Chesterfield County; Michael Cooper \u2013 Loudon County<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first recipient for a \u201cLifetime Achievement Award\u201d was Mike Mickel.  In 1983, he launched Dominion Aviation as a one-person operation with a single aircraft and grew it into one of the Mid-Atlantic\u2019s largest corporate aviation fleets. His leadership also contributed to the growth and development of Richmond Executive-Chesterfield County Airport (FCI), where Dominion Aviation was an established part of the airport\u2019s aviation community. A pilot with more than 10,000 flight hours, Mickel has played a significant role in Virginia\u2019s corporate aviation industry as a business leader, industry advisor, and mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second \u201cLifetime Achievement Award\u201d was presented to Michael Cooper, who has served as the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority\u2019s (MWAA) leader for state and local government affairs since 2007. His advocacy implemented transparency in aircraft noise and residential development, fostering collaboration among airports, communities, and elected officials. Cooper\u2019s reputation in the aviation industry has been defined by the partnerships he strengthened and his advocacy of all of the airports in the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the evening ended, Director Campbell reminded the audience that the Commonwealth\u2019s aviation story can only be told if we know about its people, \u201cWhen you think of someone who makes a difference\u2014someone who goes the extra mile, inspires others, or quietly helps keep aviation moving\u2014nominate them for a Virginia Aviation Award.\u201d The DOAV congratulates the 2026 winners of the Virginia Aviation Awards. These awards are open to all residents who make a significant contribution to the aviation industry. Every year the DOAV accepts applications each May for consideration. To get more details, download applications, and see past winners of the Virginia Aviation Awards, visit doav.virginia.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo – The 2026 Virginia Aviation Award Winners, from left \u2013 John Rutledge, Del. Karrie Delaney, Mike Michel, Greg Campbell, Cindy Watson, Michael Cooper Nestled in the historic corridor of Colonial Virginia, attendees gathered at the Williamsburg Lodge on August 19th, for one of its most noteworthy ceremonies: the Virginia Aviation Awards. The Virginia Department […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-virginia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC_7600PS-edit.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36391,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36388\/revisions\/36391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}