Written by: Kathy Zelidon
Only two years after graduating from Southern, Ryan Byford became the interim director of airport operations at Collegedale Municipal Airport.
Byford graduated from Southern in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in long-term care administration. Having developed a passion for aviation at a young age, he earned his pilot’s certificate in 2014 with hopes of becoming an airline pilot. He said that after graduating, he found the job market in a very bad state for new graduates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, he worked on small jobs before landing a position at the Collegedale Municipal Airport doing general clerical work.
“Due to the cyclicality and uncertainties of the industry, I felt as though having a four-year degree in an unrelated field to fall back on was a wise thing to have, which led me to pursue a degree in business administration,” Byford said. “After graduation, I felt as though the Lord opened the right doors, which ultimately led to my job as director of airport operations.”
On August 8, 2022, he became the interim director of airport operations. According to an article published on TheChattanoogan.com, the former director, Chris Swain, retired and city officials chose Byford as his interim replacement.
“At the City, we strive to hire the best most qualified applicant [that has] a passion for the position,” said Collegedale City Manager Wayon Hines in an interview with the Accent. “Ryan came to us highly recommended with a real zeal for aviation.”
When asked what skills he used to excel in his career, Byford stated in an email to the Accent: “Southern gave me the tools I need to be successful in the business world. The skills I learned from working with financial reports, budget management, project execution, professional writing and public speaking have already been put to use since I began the job last month.”
According to the Collegedale Municipal Airport’s website, the airport provides aircraft maintenance, rental cars, aircraft storage space, jet fuel and training/certification for pilots. The airport itself is made up of multiple hangars, a terminal building and a 5,003 foot runway. Byford told the Accent that the airport currently has six employees.
As the interim director, Byford said he supervises and coordinates the day-to-day land and airside operations at the airport. He ensures daily that “the airport is following regulations and safety protocols, as well as maintaining airport safety, conducting efficient operations, organizing timely maintenance and planning short-term and long-term improvements to better serve the community.”
Byford was born and raised in Chattanooga and attended schools within the Greater Collegedale School System (GCSS), which consists of A.W. Spalding Elementary, Collegedale Adventist Middle School and Collegedale Academy, before studying at Southern. He first heard of Southern from his parents, who are also Southern alumni, but it was the PreviewSouthern program that led to him committing to Southern.
“When I was looking at various colleges when I was a senior at Collegedale Academy, I looked at a few non-local public universities, as well as Southern,” he said. “And, after being a part of PreviewSouthern, I knew right away that Southern was the school for me.”
Byford provided these words of advice for current Southern students:
“Keep up the hard work and keep your eyes on the finish line. Even though there might be various bumps in the road along the way, it will all be worth it in the end. Most of all, enjoy your time at Southern and participate in as much as you can.”
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