Engineering & Transportation
Gary Petersen, Public Works Director
Gary Petersen has been the Manager of the Salinas Municipal Airport since September of 2005. Managed the Airport as an Enterprise Fund Gary has completed six profitable budget years; over saw the completion of an Airport Master Plan update, and completed over $5,000,000 of construction work at the airport that was paid for by federal grants he secured. Additionally, Gary managed over $2,000,000 in capital investment projects paid for by the Airport Enterprise Fund.
Also in his capacity as Airport Manager Gary participated in the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between Hartnell College and the City of Salinas that laid the ground work for the development of the College's proposed eastside campus adjacent to the Airport. Gary was also successful in bringing new businesses to the Airport that accounted for another $1,000,000 in facility investment.
Prior to his arrival in Salinas Gary worked for City, County and the Federal Government in various capacities including eight summers in wild land fire suppression and twenty-five years in airports and aviation. Gary also served in San Mateo County as a Division Manager in the Department of Public Works for 13 years as the Airport Manager for San Carlos and Half Moon Bay Airports.
Gary also has a parallel career as an Organizational Development Consultant and is a graduate of the Association for Quality and Participation School for Leading and Managing Change and has been involved in the facilitation of interpersonal skills development for students in the Stanford University MBA program. Gary has also served as an Internal Consultant in the City of Salinas working with the Building Department and Permit Center to improve organizational effectiveness and working with the Park and Recreation Department to create a Neighborhood Leadership Development Program..
Gary has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Southwest Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives, was a Board Member and Past President of the San Carlos California Chamber of Commerce, a volunteer with San Mateo County California Special Olympics for twenty three years, and served on the Board of Directors of Friends for Youth a youth mentoring program.