APPLETON, WIS. – Outagamie County conducted a four-month nationwide search to replace its airport director, Marty Lenss, who left in May to become the director at Rochester International Airport in Rochester, Minnesota. In the end, the county selected who they felt was the best person for the job – assistant airport director, Abe Weber.
Weber began his career at Outagamie County Regional Airport in 2005 as an intern. He was hired to supervise maintenance and custodial services. He later became Landside Operations Supervisor and Airport Security Coordinator.
Weber is stepping forward amid a great deal of economic development at the airport, which was initiated by Lenss.
First, the airport has completed construction of a new $3.6 million general aviation terminal, and a $650,000, 12,000-square-foot hangar. The flight center – Platinum Flight Center – is owned by Outagamie County (www.PlatinumFlightCenter.com). In addition, Fox Valley Technical College is building a $32.5 million public safety training facility at the airport. More projects are in the works, and it will be Weber’s job to bring them to fruition.
Weber is a private pilot and has earned degrees in Aviation Flight and Management from Southern Illinois University. He was an intern with the Boeing Company prior to moving to Appleton.
While working full-time as the Landside Operations Supervisor at Outagamie County Regional Airport, Weber earned his Master’s Degree in Business Management along with his LEAN Enterprise Certification. Weber is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and serves on the executive board of the Wisconsin Airport Management Association (WAMA).
Weber has effectively managed several large projects, including construction of a $7.5 million parking lot expansion, $3 million security system upgrade, runway and taxiway rehabilitation projects, and the first Net-Zero general aviation terminal in the nation.