Allison Navia, manager of the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, sits at the controls of a multipurpose snow-removal vehicle at Logan Airport in Boston. She flew to Boston earlier this month to attend an FAA Airport Division Biennial Conference, where she was honored as Airport Manager of the Year. — PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

Navia, 24, became the assistant manager at the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport in September 2008.

When Bob Cossette retired a year later, Navia became airport manager.
Her enthusiasm for aviation and her determination to improve safety and efficiency at the airport in Trenton won recognition from the FAA, which honored her with the “Airport Manager of the Year Award-2010” at an FAA conference in Boston.

“It’s a serious, awesome award for our little airport,” Navia said.
The citation presented by LaVerne Reid, manager of the FAA’s Airports Division for the New England Region, cited Navia as the “Most Promising New Airport Manager.”

Though she was chosen for the award from among managers at airports of all sizes nationwide, Reid and the FAA acknowledged that as manager of a small airport, Navia wears many hats.
“When the Secret Service and 15 other federal agencies showed up this summer in preparation for a presidential visit, they asked to see the airport manager,” Reid said at the presentation. “That was Allison. And then the airport security coordinator, that was Allison.

“Airport emergency plan coordinator? That was Allison. Director of airport operations? Allison. Director of airport public relations? That was Allison. And perhaps someone who knew the local area and could help them plan the first family’s visit? That was Allison again!”