Airport and Aviation Extraordinaire: Ashley Lucas
While working her way through the WMU College of Aviation, Ashley Lucas admits that she had almost no time for the extra-curriculars that would have helped launch her career with the thrust of a turbo jet.
Now Operations Manager for the Gerald Ford International Airport Authority in Grand Rapids, the spring of 2011 alumna of the WMU program has been making up for her lost opportunity by providing it to those who are following in her career path.
While majoring in what was then known as the aviation science and administration curriculum at Western, Lucas said she was aware of the college's Women in Aviation International chapter, "but due to my class and full-time work schedule at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center in the heart of the downtown, I was unable to participate," she says.
"Now I have the opportunity to stay connected and be involved in the organization. I am now able to give students the information and opportunities that I would have liked -- even if it's just being a friendly face at a conference or helping students make connections." And with five levels of certification through the American Association of Airport Executives to her credit, Lucas has access to many connections.
Connections that she never knew existed growing up in the Lapeer County community of North Branch, located northeast of Flint, due north of Detroit and at the bottom of Michigan's famous Thumb. As Lucas made her way through North Branch High School (Class of 2007), she was in search of a career path with a fifth-grade aptitude test offering a bit of guidance. Check out clown, park ranger and pilot.
""Clowns freak me out," she says. So that was a 'No.' I have pretty bad allergies so being outside all of the time was a 'No' as well. Since I like traveling with my family to visit Grandma when she lived in Florida, being a pilot sounded interesting. By the time each of the five kids in the family turned 9, we could fly to Florida on our own. That was always exciting.
"As I got older," Lucas says, "aviation became more than just a notion." That notion saw her accepted into the Western program as well as LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, a private, Christian-oriented and the only comprehensive university in that state with an aviation curriculum. "I chose WMU because it was in my home state and closer to family and friends." Western's fantastic reputation in the aviation industry did not hurt either. Texas, however, would enter her life a little later.
"I love that airports bring the world together," she says. "There's always a story at an airport. Passengers are traveling for work or a vacation. A businessman might be on his way to make the biggest deal of his life, a couple is on their honeymoon, or that a family is visiting a loved one they have not seen in years. After a decade of working at airports, I'm still not disillusioned with their magic."
That "magic" started to materialize right after graduation. "I applied everywhere except in Alaska because I didn't think I could survive there." But she could survive in Texas as an Operations Specialist at what was then known as McAllen Miller International Airport. Being almost the complete opposite of Alaska, McAllen is at the extreme southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border.
"Before this job," Lucas says, "my only experience being on an airfield was as an aircraft passenger. It was a whole new world and learning a whole new language." Among other duties, she conducted inspections of the runways, terminal, and cargo facilities for safety and for FAA compliances.
"Moving to McAllen was a major culture shock." she says. "It was a great place to learn my profession and expand my personal horizons. Getting out of my comfort zone helped me gain confidence in doing things on my own."
Home may have beckoned, but so did snow, which McAllen offered very, very, very little of. In September of 2013, Lucas joined the Capital Region Airport Authority in Lansing as Airport Operations Officer, a position she held until March of 2018. In addition to what she had done in Texas, she was more involved in daily procedures, including snow removal and other situations caused by hazardous weather, in wildlife mitigation, security training and tracking airport projects.
"In Lansing for about seven years," she said, "I wore a few different hats. Not only was I involved in FAA requirements, but TSA (Transportation Security Administration) policies as well. In addition to snow ops, I learned the coordination required for VIP movements, the ins and outs of construction projects, and so much more".
After a stint as the Lansing airport 's Compliance Coordinator, Lucas advanced to its Operations Manager, a post she held for 15 months until October 2020 when she moved westward to join the Ford team in Grand Rapids. There she guides the operations and communication teams, especially in dealing with contractors and vendors. There are also training, budgeting, hiring, collective bargaining, compliance, emergency handling and a variety of other tasks that can come into play in her "magic" world. There is no such thing as a routine day.
"The best thing about my job," she says, "is working through a challenging situation and coming out in the positive on the other side. If we have a special event, like a runway five-kilometer run and everything goes as planned, it's the best feeling. Months of planning and all-year training gives us that feeling of success, of accomplishment."
Lucas shares her story with students who are nearing graduation. "Everywhere I applied wanted me to have 'experience.' How do you get experience if nobody will hire you in the first place? That was frustrating. As a manager, I encourage students to volunteer if they are unable to get an internship. Or set up a job shadow."
She flashes back to her days at Western. She believes there was not enough exposure to all career avenues in the aviation industry. "We talked about pilots, maintenance, flight attendants, ramp crew and air-traffic control," she says. "Operations wasn't even a discussed topic. From my understanding, the program has become much more informative. I try to spread an awareness about all aspects that aviation can entail. If students like finance and aviation, they can pursue that at an airport. There are all kinds of options like that. I encourage students to come to our airport for a job shadow or tour. I want to be a sounding board to bounce off ideas."
Lucas is a movie watcher, reader and photographer of sunrises and sunsets -- those viewable where else but in the magic land of an airport. She also dabbles in kick boxing and detests dabbling in dipping sauces.
In January, she took her first trip to Mexico and one of its all-inclusive resorts, a journey that featured the first stamp on her newly granted passport. Hard to believe since she was only a short drive from that nation during her days at the McAllen airport. Lucas was too busy learning her profession. When not involved with security and emergency procedures, Lucas worked toward her master's in business administration from the nearby University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg.
But her real focus is on where she works and the people with whom she works. "My goal is to make certain my team members have what they need to feel successful and grow as a person and professional," she says. "If I can encourage one person to reach for his or her dreams in my whole career, I'll count that as a win."