From intern to airport manager

In April 2022, Colin Smith applied to be an intern at Huntingburg Regional Airport (KHNB) in Indiana so he could experience the airport’s daily operations and to gain practical hands-on knowledge. He got the internship and spent the summer at KHNB.

Just months later, the Indiana State University graduate with a double major in Aviation Management and Unmanned Systems, has been named manager of Freeman Municipal Airport (KSER) in Seymour, Indiana.

During his internship at KHNB, Smith did all the jobs at the airport, “including small things overlooked by college graduates like cleaning restrooms and push mowing grass,” said Travis McQueen, Huntingburg manager. “He showed progressive leadership by getting those jobs done, and single-handily responded to a disabled jet aircraft at another airport and helped get it back in the air by applying his new-found experiences and skills.”

Smith’s on-the-job training and written recommendations from top aviation professionals led to his job offer to manage the airport in Seymour.

When he stepped into his new role Oct. 26, 2022, 19-year veteran airport employee Andy Kinnenbrock advised him: “You can take what you learned in college, now forget it — this is how things get done.”

The new job fulfills a long-time goal for Smith.

“Working in an airport environment has been my dream job since childhood,” he said.

And being able to help someone develop a passion for the aviation industry and go on to achieve their dream job validates the internship/mentorship program offered at Huntingburg Regional Airport, according to officials.

“That excitement around Smith, who spent the summer job shadowing all aspects of managing a general aviation airport, makes for a great career pathway launched from Huntingburg,” said Jim Hunsicker, president of the Dubois County Airport Authority.