Kaitlin Duncan, C.M.
Age: 31
Aviation Real Estate Manager
Port of Portland
- Alma Mater: University of North Dakota; Oregon State, MBA
- Something people may not know about me is: When learning to fly I had to sit on a stack of books to see over the cowling. I am only 5’1.”
- Favorite book: Devil in the White City
- Favorite TV show: Game of Thrones
- Favorite movie: A Leauge of Their Own
- Favorite hobby(s): Hiking, reading, traveling, wine tasting running
When Kaitlin Duncan was 12 years old, she went to the Hillsboro Air Show in Hillsboro, Ore., and saw the Blue Angels perform. At that moment, she decided she wanted to be a pilot and pursued a career in aviation.
Little did Duncan know that 19 years later she would not only have her private pilot certificate, but also work for Port of Portland, which led to becoming a big part of putting on the same air show that sparked her love of flying.
“I love this job and this position challenges me,” she said. “I’m the type of person who needs something challenging to keep me involved and every issue that comes up, I really get to be a problem solver and work with a lot of different people to solve some of these problems.”
As the aviation real estate manager at the Port of Portland, Duncan leads the agency in how to best obtain business objectives meeting the needs of airport tenants and users at port-owned airports that include Portland International Airport (PDX), Hillsboro Airport (HIO), and Troutdale Airport (TTD).
Duncan’s accomplishments include the redevelopment and reuse of surplus military aircraft hangars; development of 90,000 square feet of new hangar space; developed a new tracking system for revenue enplanements in the state of Wyoming; planned/coordinated the Eugene Airport’s first annual Runway Run partnering with local charities; as well as volunteered for Young Eagles raising money to provide flights to kids interested in aviation.
Duncan manages large airport real estate development projects beginning with brand new green field developments on through project design review, construction of aviation improvements and initiation of operations.
Duncan interned at the Wyoming Department of Aeronautics and Cheyenne Regional Airport (CYS), consulted for a private firm, and also worked at the Eugene Airport (EUG) before coming to the Port of Portland.
