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Young to serve as new KDOT Director of Aviation

Oct. 19, 2005 (05-215)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Stan Whitley, (785) 296-3585

Young to serve as new KDOT Director of Aviation

Ed Young has been selected to serve the state as the Kansas Department of Transportation’s new Director of Aviation.

“The opportunity to serve the people of Kansas working in KDOT’s Division of Aviation is almost indescribable,” said Young. “I’m a pilot and I know first-hand of the major improvements that have been made in recent years at public use airports through the Comprehensive Transportation Program. My goal is to continue that progress and make the general aviation environment even better by being an indispensable partner in Kansas aviation.”

Young came to KDOT from Sunflower Mediation and Municipal Consulting where he served as a consultant, mediator and attorney for the past year. He spent two years as a county administrator and counselor in Seward County from 2002-2004 and was also on the City of Liberal Airport Advisory Committee.

Young spent six years as the city administrator of Eldon, Mo., from 1996-2002. During that time he was actively involved in securing a Federal Aviation Administration grant for the Eldon Model Airpark. The grant of almost $2 million completely reconstructed the runways and taxiways at the airpark which is located in the heavily traveled Lake of the Ozarks area.

During a two year period from 1994-1996, Young was city administrator for the city of Tonganoxie and he served as an administrative assistant to the city manager of Shawnee in 1993.

“As a former city and county administrator, I understand the importance of aviation to the economic prosperity of our communities and state,” said Young. “I also understand the vital role aviation plays in the health of our citizens.”

Young earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990, Master of Public Administration in 1995 and law degree in 1994, all from the University of Kansas. He also holds in high regard his private pilot’s license that he received in 2003 when he lived in Liberal.

Young and his wife, Teresa, live in Eudora. They have two daughters, Biz, 10, and Hope, 2.

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