Maria Benovic has served numerous airports as an engineer, construction manager and consultant from California to New Jersey. In her current role as a senior project engineer with C&S Engineers, Inc., Benovic serves as client relationship and project manager for all clients in Ohio. She is involved in a variety of projects including master plans, airfield paving and standards improvements, and construction administration.
She most enjoys helping clients bring their vision to a reality. “The industry is full of challenges - from funding sources and budgets, through design and construction,” she said. “It is gratifying to be able to collaborate and overcome these issues together.”
Each day brings something different. “You never know what project or issue you will encounter,” she said. “Although a pavement may be similar, the challenges experienced and the interaction with the client are different. The learning opportunities that arise from these different circumstances have helped to support the growth of myself and my team.”
Several years ago Benovic was nominated and elected to the board for the Ohio Aviation Association (OAA). In this role she served on several committees including membership, communications and administration/finance committees. After several years as a director for the OAA Board, Benovic was elected vice president, then president. Today she is immediate past president and continues to be highly active in advocating for airport issues and state funding with elected representatives.
She said she sees the future of airports being collaborative, leading to a future where air travel is the norm and not a luxury for the world.
“I want to collaborate and provide opportunities for learning,” she said. “There is so much change that is happening in the world, I want to be the conduit to help others understand that change. We can be innovative, open-minded, and accepting of change.”
Although she loves to travel and being in airports, she didn’t know aviation was where her career would lead her, but she’s been all-in on aviation ever since. She reminds herself (and others): “If you think it, it will be. Never let fear hinder you from an unknown experience, because you never know where that may lead you. And lastly, it’s all about people.”
