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CEDAR RAPIDS — The longtime director of The Eastern Iowa Airport has landed a new connection with the next generation of aviation.
After 10 years at "CID," the airport's code, Marty Lenss is putting a lifetime of diverse aviation experience to work at Coe College's new aviation management program.
He has served as an airport peace officer in Oklahoma, cleared snow off runways in Wyoming winters, managed airport runway noise in Minneapolis, spurred business development in Madison, Wis., and lobbied for the industry from Appleton, Wis.
Now, he's adding instructor to his resume as he teaches his first college class this semester while continuing to lead the airport.
"It's been a long, windy road, but that's been my journey," Lenss said.
Reaching the next generation
As the program at the Cedar Rapids college launched last year continues to get off the ground, Lenss' new class will introduce students to the heights of flying — and the breadth of the industry beyond the cockpit.
"As you begin your academic journey into aviation, you can't ask for better insight than having the airport director teaching your introductory class," said Coe College Provost Angela Ziskowski.
The introduction to aviation course will bring the friendly skies to students in full color with lessons from his lifelong career, guest speakers across the industry and trips to the airport, where an aeronautical field station will serve as a secondary classroom.
His teaching role is part of a blossoming partnership between CID and Coe, which will include a flight school in partnership with Revv Aviation out of a dedicated hangar at the station. Starting this summer, CID will host an exclusive internship for a Coe student.
After guiding commercial route expansions and the airport's physical expansions, now in the final stages of a $120 million development, Lenss plays an active role in bringing the partnership to life.
"We really have some great synergies happening in aviation education," Lenss said "We hope we can generate the activity the workforce needs."
But more than that, he hopes to impart to students a passion that will stay with them throughout their careers — no matter their job titles.
The new program not only will provide aviation-related electives for students, but highlight a wide swath of careers they may not be aware of. Ziskowski said the program also may be of interest to Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps students, even if they don't major in aviation management.
Though similar programs exist at various schools throughout the country, they often are in partnership with much smaller airports. The provost said Coe's program offers a distinct value through its partnership with CID, which accommodates five airlines with service to 19 nonstop destinations.
"It's giving them a fantastic opportunity to achieve the dream of flight, but backstopping that with a management degree that allows them, if they want, to pivot," Lenss said. "It's a vast job opportunity to folks."
And, 144 years after the Wright Brothers spent part of their childhood in Iowa, it keeps alive the flame that was sparked here by the fathers of aviation. Orville Wright credited a flying toy from their father, given to him and brother Wilbur during their Cedar Rapids residency, for sparking their desire to explore flying concepts.
With that origin story, the heritage of companies like Rockwell Collins — now called Collins Aerospace — that have advanced aviation and robust educational opportunities through local colleges and state universities, Lenss said it only makes sense that the Cedar Rapids partnership steps up to help with industry labor shortages.
"With that rich history and origin story, we felt like it's in our DNA to be training and advancing aviation," he said. "I spend a lot of time talking about the pilot shortage. Ultimately, we wanted to do something more."
How he fell in love with flying
The new instructor's love of aviation started small with ground transportation. During trips to pick up his visiting grandmother or drop off his father at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, the hustle and bustle of airports captivated him.
"Back then, you could go to the gates and meet (family) coming off the bridge," said Lenss, 54. "It was fascinating to me. It was always busy at the airport — lots of action."
The fixation later continued in junior high, on his first flight to visit his sister in Canada.
"I just thought that was pretty cool," he said.
Decades later, his aviation career continues to captivate him for the same reason: no two days on the job are alike.
After high school, Lenss enrolled at the University of North Dakota to become a pilot. But before long, he realized that flight path wasn't for him
With a "very different" hiring environment and poor entry-level pay for pilots in the 1980s, the career path lacked a sense of certainty. So he switched majors and studied airport administration instead.
Today, the pay has increased tremendously for new commercial pilots, with starting salaries approaching $90,000 and more common route management to allow pilots a better work-life balance.
Despite his long and winding path, teaching was far from something the director could envision for himself, even in the latter half his career.
"I was no valedictorian," he said.
But so far, he has enjoyed connecting with students who think aviation is as cool, too. This semester, he has seen the love of flying come alive in students from younger generations that grew up with technological capabilities that could desensitize the awe and wonder of flying.
"There's a lot of intrigue within flight and being a pilot," Lenss said. "If they've got that bug in them, that first flight will pull it out of them."
Why he does it
A quality airport is a strong driver of the local economy and the community Lenss cares about. But the industry has some shortages to fill.
The need for pilots and support personnel, such as mechanics, has become crucial. About 4,300 pilots retire per year at the mandatory age of 65, putting more pressure on the system as airline fleets continue to grow. Currently, there is an estimated shortage of 17,000 pilots.
"If you want to be a pilot, it's never been easier," Lenss said.
But if being a pilot isn't appealing, students of his will have a glimpse into public safety, cybersecurity, operations, business development, customer service, data management, governance, engineering, mechanics, environmental work and air traffic control.
"Quality air service is a critical component of a healthy region. Being able to contribute to a regional economy like that, I've found it pretty rewarding," he said. "Part of why it's amazing is the speed at which it connects our world."
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or [email protected].
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