Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport Director Paul Anslow has suddenly departed from his post, leaving behind mixed impressions about his management and handling of local issues. Anslow did not return calls seeking comment and airport and local officials are tight-lipped about his Nov. 29 departure, describing it only as a 鈥減ersonnel matter.鈥�
Meanwhile, others who were heavily involved with the airport鈥檚 affairs said they鈥檇 experienced years of frustration with Anslow and are relieved he鈥檚 no longer in charge.
Anslow served as director for the last five years.
鈥淚鈥檝e been trying to tell people for as long as he鈥檚 been here what he鈥檚 about, what he was doing, how he was conducting business at the airport,鈥� said Daril Cinquanta, president of the Jefferson County Aviation Association. 鈥淢aybe now we can get a good airport manager.鈥�
The aviation association represents the airport鈥檚 tenants and users. RMMA, the third busiest airport in the state, has more than 400 based aircraft and 50 businesses.
Cinquanta sent several letters to county leaders expressing concerns about Anslow, the most recent on Nov. 9. In it, he objected to Anslow鈥檚 conduct and response to tenants鈥� concerns. Cinquanta said he does not know if his letters factored into Anslow鈥檚 departure.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 share the reasons behind his (Anslow鈥檚) departure since it鈥檚 a personnel matter, and a matter of his own professional privacy,鈥� said Cassie Pearce, Jefferson County public affairs director.
The regional public-use airport, founded in 1960, is owned and operated as an enterprise fund by the county. It is run by a staff of approximately 25 county employees, who oversee its administration, operation and maintenance.
Jefferson County issued a short press release on Nov. 29, saying county Chief Financial Officer Dr. Stephanie Corbo was announcing Anslow鈥檚 departure, effective immediately. Corbo, to whom the airport director reports, had not returned calls requesting comment.
鈥淲e are grateful for the work that Paul and his team have done to move the airport forward as a regional resource and are proud of the steps that RMMA has taken to expedite the airport鈥檚 transition to unleaded fuel,鈥� Corbo said in the release.
Jefferson County Commissioner Tracy Kraft-Tharp, who sat on the airport鈥檚 Community Noise Roundtable and worked closely with Anslow on multiple issues, said she had no details about the exit and did not respond to additional questions from Colorado Community Media. Commissioners Andy Kerry and Lesley Dahlkemper also did not return calls requesting comment.
Assistant Airport Directors Brandon Burns and Brian Bishop will continue to serve in their current capacity, reporting to Corbo.
鈥淎s we work to fill this vital role, we will continue to collaborate with the community and our regional partners,鈥� Corbo stated.
In October, Anslow headed a press conference during which he announced RMMA expected to be the first airport in the state to fully transition to unleaded fuel. Airport officials had purchased a fuel truck and storage tank to transport unleaded fuel, and aims to serve two-thirds of its fleet with unleaded fuel by late 2024.
With those changes, the airport is poised to beat a federal 2030 deadline to phase out leaded fuel, which has been linked to public health concerns.
Pearce said those efforts will continue.
鈥淧aul really did a good job of leading that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think Jefferson County is really proud of that and proud our airport is moving to quickly to make those changes.鈥�
Arvada City Councilor John Marriott, who serves as a neighboring jurisdiction representative on the airport鈥檚 advisory board, said he had no details about Anslow鈥檚 departure and no qualms about his performance.
鈥淗e was terrific to work with,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n my eyes, he was doing a fantastic job at the airport.鈥�
But Cinquanta, a retired Denver police detective and pilot, saw Anslow very differently. Among many complaints, Cinquanta said the director did not keep a promise to let the aviation association review the airport鈥檚 rules and regulations and minimum standards 鈥� criteria established by the airport that must be met by individuals and businesses wanting to provide on-airport aeronautical activities or services.
鈥淲e had an agreement we would be able to look at them before they went to the county commissioners with our suggestions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t never happened. He would never follow through. I never found him to be credible or honest.鈥�
Cinquanta said he and Anslow repeatedly had heated exchanges about airport issues.
鈥淚 feel like we finally accomplished something,鈥� he said of Anslow鈥檚 departure. 鈥淩MMA is a great airport. The pilots that fly out of it are great. Their hearts are truly in the right place. They just want to see it prosper. We don鈥檛 need this kind of crap on the airport.鈥�
Westminster鈥檚 Charlene Willey, who lives in a neighborhood adjacent to the airport and is with the Save Our Skies Alliance, said she found Anslow difficult to work with. Willey has worked for years with the airport on issues including phasing out the use of leaded fuel and noise abatement.
鈥淗e did not engender goodwill,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 good at PR. He said so many things that just plain weren鈥檛 factual at a variety of public forums and on a variety of topics.鈥�
While Willey said she does not know the reasons for Anslow鈥檚 departure, she is not surprised.
鈥淲hen he came in, that鈥檚 when the problems with the community began,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he pressure鈥檚 been building for a very long time.鈥�
This story is from the Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel, one of two dozen Colorado Community Media newspapers covering communities that make up the Denver metro area.
