More than 20 years after he landed the job as Paine Field Director, Dave Waggoner is turning in his wings. Next on the horizon for the 26-year Navy veteran: Retirement.
During his 22-year tenure at Paine Field, Waggoner has helped airport revenues triple, seen locally based aircraft increase by more than 50 percent, and been instrumental in securing more than $85 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants. Thanks to his leadership, Paine Field has been named the FAA’s Airport of the Year twice, in 1997 and 2003. In 2013, Waggoner himself was honored as Airport Executive of the Year by the Northwest chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives .
Of course, if you ask Waggoner, he won’t take credit for his years of hard work, preferring instead to put the spotlight on his great staff.
“They are the heart of the team,” he said. “Nearly everything we do takes working together and collaboration. Our work has really benefitted by the support we have enjoyed from the whole county team.”