The Moore County Airport Authority has announced that Interim Director Ron Maness will serve as the permanent director for the airport through 2024. The announcement was made during the August Airport Authority meeting.
Maness, who was appointed as interim director following the departure of Scotty Malta in July, will serve the facility full-time, effective immediately. This is the fourth time that Maness has led the operation for the Moore County Airport.
“I think we could have searched every airport in the country, and never found a more qualified, more energetic or more dedicated candidate than Ron Maness,” said Mike Jones, Chairman for the Moore County Airport Authority. “Ron’s knowledge about aviation and the depth of his concern for this airport cannot be overstated, but that’s not the whole story. The thing that makes Ron so valuable, so helpful, so unique, is his natural talent for leadership. He inspires the whole airport team. When you work with Ron, you simply want to do your best.”
Maness has been involved with aviation his entire career: for over 10 years with the Air Force, including as a captain for the inaugural class of the first TOPGUN training wing in California and two years as a pilot for the Air Force precision flight squadron, the Thunderbirds.
Following his military career, Maness joined U.S. Airways where he served as a pilot for 22 years. Prior to accepting his current role as director, Maness served three terms as airport manager in Moore County in 2004-2007, 2010-2012 and again in 2018-2020.
He was instrumental in assisting the United States Golf Association with two U.S. Open championships and coordinating the unique operations plans to handle thousands of flights that arrived and departed at the airport in 2005 and 2014. Maness will be instrumental in developing a similar plan for the 2024 U.S. Open Championship, which will be hosted at Pinehurst.
“It has been an honor and privilege to lead the airport operation for the airport during three consecutive decades,” stated Maness. “The airport has an amazing team that is focused on providing the best in facilities and customer service to those who arrive and depart from our airport. Our focus is on growing the facility and enhancing the community relations that is vital to the success of our airport.”
Maness’s responsibilities as director will to manage all the operational aspects of the airport including increasing revenues, providing exceptional customer service, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Along with the members of the Airport Authority, he will oversee the short and long-term strategic plans for the facility. Maness will work with federal, state, and local agencies for grants supporting facility maintenance, growth in capacity and service, and overall improvements to the airport.
He will also manage current development projects, including the base-customer hanger expansion and infrastructure projects, the conversion of all external lighting to LED and the continual enhancements to the exiting airport terminal building.
Chairman Jones added, “Our vision for the airport, as the gateway to the ‘Home of American Golf,’ is to be the best general aviation airport in North America. Ron’s leadership history with the airport, coupled with a keen understanding of our mission to be an engine of economic growth for Moore County, will drive the future success for the Moore County Airport.”
Maness is a long-time resident of Moore County and lives in Whispering Pines. He and his wife Nancy are parents to two grown children, who live in North Carolina, along with six grandchildren.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
