Meet Heather Roden! Heather sits on the WMRAA board as a representative of the City of Zeeland.
Prior to joining the board, Heather attended several board meetings in public interest. This stemmed from her role at Haworth Inc., where she works as an Event Experience and Travel Supervisor. Her role deals largely with overseeing corporate travel and event support, including coordinating the company’s private jet which resides at WMRA.
Heather quickly realized that she wanted to join the board to continue building relationships and working to advance WMRA’s community connections.
“As a Zeeland resident of over 20 years, I realized I could make a greater impact by using my unique background to help shape the airport’s long-term vision and strategy,” said Heather.
Since joining, she is grateful to have been a firsthand witness to the results of the board’s efforts. In addition to her seat on the board, Heather keeps up with the industry through her memberships to Global Business Travel Association and the National Business Aviation Association.
She puts a large emphasis on the different educational programs the airport supports for local schools. She enjoys collaborating with fellow board members to support these programs, getting valuable feedback from local students and working along the airport staff to implement improvements.
“The most rewarding aspect is the meaningful connections I’ve built,” Heather says. “I had the privilege of collaborating with two local schools, where students provided valuable insights on airport improvements and shared their aspirations for careers in the aviation industry. It was so memorable!”
Heather looks forward to the airport’s future growth initiatives, specifically the North Business Park Taxi Lane project. She calls attention to the appointed manager’s strong vision and experience, as well as the innovative ideas brought by the stakeholders which she believes will only enhance the growth and positive economic impact the airport has on the communities it serves!
