Jim Schell, C.M.
Age: 30
Deputy Director of Aviation
Cheyenne Regional Airport
- Alma Mater: St. Cloud State University
- Something people may not know about me: I'm a huge Green Bay Packers Fan
- Favorite book: The Heroin Diaries
- Favorite TV show: Seinfeld
- Favorite movie Top Gun
- Favorite hobby(s) Camping, hiking, snow boarding
When Jim Schell was growing up, he got interested in aviation and decided he wanted to be a pilot. He went off to college to pursue his dream, but while he was there, he discovered airport management was something he could study.
“I really like the close-knit nature of the industry,” he said. “Even when it was my first actual AAAE conference this year I was blown away how large it was and how many vendors and exhibitors and airport people were there, but at the same time, when you look at it on a national scale, compared to other industries it’s fairly small.”
Schell started at Cheyenne Regional Airport (CYS) in 2009 as an intern and was then offered a position as an operations specialist. In the past seven years, others noticed his potential, so Schell was promoted to deputy director.
He found himself as the de-facto leader in that position as he then was named interim director.
As the de-facto leader of the airport Schell spearheaded successful ventures, such as obtaining the first SCASDAP grant the airport had ever received; negotiating a minimum revenue guarantee with an airlines; taking charge of air service and business development; becoming the airport security coordinator; maintaining all the FAA mandated documents and conducting all the training for the 139 Certificate, which includes joint military operations and an ARFF unit run by the Wyoming Air National Guard.
Schell was able to gain his CM rating and is now the leader for the CYS terminal development project. He oversees all community relations, grant oversight, financial tracking, constructability review and acts as liaison for all airport tenants on the project.
Schell is also involved in the Wyoming Airport Operators Association and is the sole person in charge of its 2016 conference.
