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A seasoned veteran of the aviation industry has been named as the new manager of the Stanly County Airport.

Randy Shank spent 34 years in commercial aviation starting March 19, 1985, when he worked with Piedmont Airlines in Charlotte.

After 14 years, he moved up to a management role in customer service training and served in various capacities with the Flight Simulation Training Center. Shank was involved in human resources, project management and classroom facilitation.

Shank retired from American Airlines in March 2019 and then went to work for Stanly as the SCUSA transportation director April 1 of that year. He recently accepted the airport director position and will start work July 17.

“I have a lot of general operations experience. I have experience dealing with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and other governmental entities…I felt like that was a good blend for me, with the aviation mixed into departmental insight,” Shank said.

The new director said Stanly’s airport “is a big economic engine with the military and with operations. Across the whole spectrum, it can touch every aspect of the county in every economic form we could ask for.”

Speaking about Ken Swaringen, the former airport director, Shank said Swaringen “has done a really great job with the airport.”

He said his initial goals are “to continue the excellent service that’s already provided” at the airport, and to continue to meet goals of excellence and professionalism.

Mike Harwood, chairman of the Stanly County Airport Authority Board, said Shank “is extremely good with customer service” and will “take the bull by the horns and fit right in, keep things rolling with all the good things we have going.”

Harwood said “has always excelled wherever he has been. We felt like Randy was the right fit for what we need.”