The Sedalia Regional Airport has a new face at the helm as Director John Evans is set to retire this month.
The City of Sedalia announced a few weeks ago Eric Bowers would take over Evans’ position. Evans has worked at the Sedalia Airport for more than eight years, but his career in the aviation field extends long before his time in Sedalia.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun in a job than this,” Evans told the Democrat last week in his office at the airport.
Evans graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which he noted is where Bowers is pursing his master’s degree.
Evans started his career in aviation while working for Eastern Airlines in Atlanta, Georgia, and going to school part-time. In 1974, Evans moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, and finished his schooling at Embry-Riddle. While searching for an aviation job, he worked at a motel, even opening an ice cream parlor on the beach with his wife.
After school he landed a job with Ozark Airlines and chose to work in Tennessee — “I’d never lived north of there,” Evans recalled. “I’d never shoveled snow in my life!” A few months later, he got used to snow when he became the district marketing representative in Des Moines, Iowa, later moving to Kansas City with the same company.
His wife, a Methodist minister, transferred to Harrisonville where Evans got the job of airport director. The Evans family moved again to St. Louis when he worked for Delta, then his wife transferred to Higginsville while he worked in Kansas City. It was then Evans finally came to Sedalia.
During his tenure in Sedalia, Evans helped oversee several projects at the airport, including the 18/36 runway reconstruction project in 2014, for which project contractor Ideker Inc. received the Reliever and General Aviation Airports project award from the American Concrete Pavers Association for the best pavement in 2014 for the State of Missouri.
“John has worked very hard, turned it (the airport) all around, done some really great things out there. The airport is second to none,” Mayor Stephen Galliher said as he presented Evans with a retirement award during Monday’s Sedalia City Council meeting. “We got a lot of awards on account of your hard work and effort and everything. … We appreciate everything you do.”
Evans also helped bring self-service fueling to the airport in 2014, which allows pilots who fly in at night to fuel their own plane without having to call in an employee after hours. That addition has significantly increased fuel sales over the last three years.
“Our business has really increased since I’ve been here about four fold,” Evans said. “It’s not me, we’ve just been at the right time, good customer service, we keep our fuel prices low. We’re about halfway across the U.S. so we get a lot of transient jets coming through here for fuel.”
Over the years Evans has seen a wide variety of planes land on Sedalia’s runways, from unique planes headed to the “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” in Wisconsin to one of the largest business jets available.
He’s also met a few celebrities. Many Missouri State Fair performers fly in to the Sedalia Regional Airport, and he met former President Bill Clinton when he landed in Sedalia to speak at the University of Central Missouri graduate school commencement several years ago. Evans said the runway was too short for Clinton’s plane at Skyhaven Airport in Warrensburg.
Evans also has his regular customers. He said the airport is known for its good customer service, especially its fresh popcorn in the lobby for guests.
Evans and his family will be moving in June to Florida to both retire and to be closer to needed, specialized medical facilities for his daughter, Katie Wurtz, who was diagnosed with dysautonomia several years ago. Evans said he thought he’d stay in Sedalia longer, but he retired a little earlier than expected to help with Wurtz’s disease.
Evans said he’ll miss the Sedalia community and the many relationships he’s made, noting the weekly lunches he had with fellow city employees.
“If I had a do over, I’d probably try to get here sooner because I’ve enjoyed it,” he added with a smile.
