MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A Maryland man who has held a position as a financial project manager for Johns Hopkins University will soon help oversee business development at the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport.
Jonathan Brossart was selected among 34 applications. In his new role, Brossart will work to develop land in the airport’s John D. Rockefeller Science and Technology Park along Novak Drive.
“He’s a professional who’s worked in the fields of budget preparation and finance,” said Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport Executive Director Neil Doran. “We link that with his great intelligence. He’s a personable young man and he has a real passion for aviation.”
Bossart shared his goals with MetroNews affiliate WEPM Wednesday.
“I really want to help increase the general aviation population,” Bossart said. “Encourage the local community, whether it would be youth programs or the schools, to come out and see what airports are. To encourage the youth to join the aviation community because it’s a great lead-in to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers.”
The airport, located a few miles south of Martinsburg, cleared a major hurdle earlier this year. The transfer of a 186,673 square foot warehouse with 194 parking spaces on roughly 22 acres of land to Panhandle Real Estate Trust, LLC and an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made it easier for various types of development to occur.
‘We’re one of the few airports with a business park,” said Doran.
Previous FAA restrictions prohibited non-aviation related development within the business park.
“We had to go through a process with the FAA to do a land release,” said Dolan in a previous interview WEPM. “We did environmental documentation. We submitted a great deal of paperwork to them. Over time, they gave their approval. They recognize that this land was not needed for aviation purposes and that our selling it for 1.5 million dollars represents obtaining and receiving more than fair market value.”
According to a previous economic impact study, the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport Authority (EWVRAA) generates more than $224.6 million in total economic output annually. It also comprises of 2.2% of all jobs in Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan Counties equaling just over 1,600 total.
“We think that he can work along with the existing team members to really get out there and sell and promote our properties and our airport,” added Doran.
The airport is also the home of the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 167th Airlift Wing. Brossart said the Airlift Wing is a strength of the facility.
“The airport has great resources and it’s a strong component of the local economy. I just feel that it’s greatly positioned to be successful in the future. So I want to be a part of a leading, successful team.”
Bossart is expected to start the job on January 7.