Airport_Business_November_2020 - 36

UNDER

Roman I Mendez

Hometown: Indio, CA
Fun fact about yourself: I
am a " Be The Match " donor of
bone marrow.
Someone I look up to in
the industry: Those that have
mentored me over the years,
many of which are part of my
Desert Jet family.
My favorite thing about
aviation is: I love the joy flying
brings to people. When you fly
it's the beginning of your next
adventure.

Roman Mendez first fell in love with business aviation when he
was 18 years old and working for a large FBO chain. He began
his career as a line service technician and quickly grew to love
the profession.
Mendez soon became the operations manager. Captivated by
the vision and culture of Desert Jet, he joined the company as
the line service manager.
" As soon as I got into it, I really fell in love with the people and
the operations side of things, " he said.
Within two years, Mendez was promoted to general manager
and has grown his customer base, increasing business activity
at the airport significantly year-over-year and attaining 32
percent of the market share among three FBOs at the airport.
Mendez worked alongside the executive team to oversee
the construction of a brand new FBO terminal and hangar
facility that he now manages. The 32,500-square-foot
facility has changed the landscape of the area attracting new
business and increasing traffic to the airport.
He collaborates with the general manager of Desert Jet
Maintenance, Desert Jet's on-site FAA Certified Part 145
Repair Station, to provide one-stop-shop value to each
company's respective customers.
Mendez has been instrumental in developing the highest
safety and customer rated FBO in the desert.
Mendez's team continues to receive the highest number of
customer reviews (all 5-star) across multiple airport resource
sites, including Airnav, Fltplan.com and Foreflight. By

encouraging a culture of safety and continuous improvement,
he led his FBO to achieve IS-BAH Stage 2 registration. His
entire FBO staff is also NATA Safety 1st certified.
" I really like the customer service side of things. That's
something I think is a forgotten art, " he said. " In private
aviation, with what we do, we really get the opportunity to
cater to our clients, to give them a different level of service
that a lot of us have come to forget. "
As an essential business operating during the pandemic,
Mendez ensured the safety of his employees, guests,
and visiting crewmembers by quickly instituting CDC
recommended guidelines and protocol throughout the facility
and its services.
Desert Jet Center became one of the first FBOs to offer cabin
disinfection services to reduce and prevent the spread of the
COVID-19 and one of only a few FBOs to provide the service
free of charge.

www.AviationPros.com/21149807

R. Shane Brooks, EIT, ACE
In 2013, R. Shane Brooks accepted a job with the city of El Paso
as a place holder between projects.
Her career plan at the time was to work as a traveling
construction manager for an engineering firm with her next
project slated to be in Perth, Australia.
Her first project for the city was the El Paso International
Airport (ELP) Consolidated Rental Agency Complex at the 30
percent design phase kick off meeting.
" It was the process of working through that project and the
incredible people I was surrounded by that convinced me this
is where I'm supposed to be, " she said. " I eventually turned
down the project in Perth and I've been happily employed by
the airport ever since. "
Hometown: Vado, NM
Brooks has contributed a great deal to
Alma Mater: New Mexico State University
ELP in her seven years. Her construction
Fun fact about yourself: I was riding horses
management skills have delivered some of the
before I could walk
largest, most ambitious projects at the airport
in decades.
Someone I look up to in the industry: I
can't narrow it down to just one, there's been two A new consolidated rental car facility delivered
that stand out to me, one's an engineer with vision in 2016 at a cost of $42 million ushered in
and innate leadership ability, the other is a man
one of the most modern, passenger friendly
with aviation in his soul and is a genuine good
facilities in the nation that continues to be
human. We could all learn how to live a more
a cornerstone of our airport improvement
positive fulfilled life from him.
program.
My favorite thing about aviation is:
Also, a $32 million Checked Baggage
Airport terminal construction projects, I love
Inspection System (CBIS) went online in 2018,
remodeling and expanding our terminal
which brough El Paso into the company of

some of the most modern airports in the nation.
Brooks has a gift for handling complex projects and issues,
gathering resources quickly to overcome obstacles and has
great skills in seeing solutions where others see problems.
" I'm lucky enough to be involved in the development/
construction side of the house and all of my projects are
different, " Brooks said. " A typical day has me switching
between a paving project in the airfield, to a remodel project
inside the terminal, to planning a food truck event in our short
term parking lot. Variety is the spice of life. "
Her latest task involves moving ELP into a touchless passenger
experience for a COVID and Post-COVID reality, all the while
improving the passenger journey and partnering with tenant
airlines and concessionaires to improve service to El Paso's
customer and help all parties regain profitability in these
troubled times.
Brook's willingness to step into leadership roles shows that
she's well equipped to deliver a great vision for ELP.

www.AviationPros.com/21149591

36 \ AIRPORTBUSINESS / NOVEMBER 2020

http://www.Fltplan.com http://www.AviationPros.com/21149807 http://www.AviationPros.com/21149591

Airport_Business_November_2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Airport_Business_November_2020