Children are the future (part 2of 2)

Well, I know how much fun I had when I got to interact with the kids at the Airport Authority’s Take Your Kids to Work Day this year. I shared that experience with all of you on this blog in part one of Children Are the Future!

Now you’ll get to hear what the kids themselves thought of their day here, on their way to becoming “junior” Goodwill Ambassadors for San Diego International Airport. Any of the parents reading this post are invited to submit a comment of your impression and/or those of your kids once they were home and told you about their day. Have fun, and enjoy the post!

• Colleen: Today’s scavenger hunt was really fun. We ran around all morning, picture-taking and learning cool things about where our parents work and our local airport. It’s amazing the things you get to see around the airport when you don’t actually have to get on a flight. San Diego International Airport is a nice break from school. No, seriously, I’m not even joking. J

• Courtney: I had a fantabulous time today. Going throughout San Diego’s airport, taking pictures, learning exciting facts and completing a scavenger hunt was a swell time.J Not to forget that it was a whole day away from school.;) I also met some new things: Sallie the Duck and Jorge the Plane.

• Evan: Today was the Take your Kid to Work Day at the San Diego International Airport, which was fun because us kids did not have to go to school. While participating at this event, the kids separated into groups with separate leaders. We participated in an airport scavenger hunt, looking for answers all throughout the airport. I was the photographer for my group, which was a lot of fun because I learned many new things about the airport that I did not know before.

• David: Had a great day and it was so much fun. I got to take pictures. I got go up and down the escalator so many times. There was something weird to see: these waved panes of glass on the wall. When I looked more closely, I saw that there were words on them. There where lights that made shadows with the word so you could read the wording. I also got to skip school for a day. I learned a lot about the airport … and a bit about loons. It was so much fun.

• Matthew: We got separated into four groups. I got separated into a group with my brother, and we didn’t know anyone. But after we started walking around, I started getting along with everyone. I had a great time with my group and learned a lot of stuff. Another thing that I liked about today is that the lunch was cool, because we had booths and other fun stuff we could do. A personal favorite of mine was that I got to miss school for a day! Today was a great day to me, and I had a lot of fun.

• Nick and Nick: We learned not a lot, but we saw a bunch of art things … It was alright today. Not fun and not boring. But it kept us out of school today, so that was cool. The lunch was better than last year’s, and that was cool too.

• Arielle: Hi! My name is Arielle, and I had a lot of fun at Take Your Child to Work Day. There is so much history at the airport, and about planes. A scavenger hunt was held and we toured the airport. Kids of many ages where roaming the airport, learning and playing. I hope to come back to the next Take Your Child to Work Day and have another great experience.

• Jasmin: I love Take Your Child to Work Day! My favorite part was when we made the Web page. The thing I liked about it was when I got to click F5 on the keyboard and make the webpage appear. Another thing I liked about it was when we went scavenger hunting and I got to ask people for the answer. Another part I liked about going on the scavenger hunt was meeting new people and having fun, and my team leader was soooooooo AWESOME!

• Pedro: I had thee best time at the airport for take your kids to work day. We had food, things to take home, and we were allowed to make a Web site for the airport and travel in the airport. I had the best time here.

• Josh: Throughout the day we traveled through the three terminals, learning about how they operate. Then, to conclude the day, we were given the opportunity to create a Web page that will be displayed on the airport’s Web site.

• Shyla and Sydney: Take Your Kid to Work Day was lots of fun. Today I met new people that share the same hobbies as I have. Isn’t that cool!? We got to skip school and tests! Isn’t that cool again!? Anyways, another fun activity was when I went down the slide with my new friends repeatedly. I also had fun playing with the items I got from the activity stands. I enjoyed making the paper hats as well.

• Jesus and Francisco: Thursday, April 24, 2008 was Take Your Child to Work Day at the San Diego International Airport. One of the many things that we got to do was wander around the airport and photograph fascinating art work that many people bypass without noticing. One of the most memorable things we got to do was help young children build their own bird houses, which they got to take home and keep for memories. After lunch, we were taken to a conference room and taught how to create our own Web pages. Our web pages have now been added to the San Diego International Airport Web site, to show our friends and family the incredible things we experienced at the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. During the day we all had a great time and learned many incredible facts about the city we live in and the opportunity it holds for our generation.

• Sean and Jack: Today at the airport we did a scavenger hunt at Take Your Kids to Work Day. It was a fun scavenger hunt, searching for the things we needed a picture of, and to answer the questions on the paper. We thought the best part was the free food and prizes. We had fun walking around the fair and collecting all the prizes, pizza, cookies and salads. Yeah it was yummy!

Again, as I read these comments I am once again assured that, as Goodwill Ambassadors for San Diego International Airport, we definitely met our goal to help educate the most important future resource we have … our children! I hope that everyone gets that goofy smile on their face like I do when I read the above comments from this awesome group of kids!

Children are the future (part 1 of 2)

[NOTE: Sharing your workplace for a day with the employees and leaders of tomorrow - like Gold Team members (above), from left, Jasmin, Arielle, Jack, Sean and Joshua, above, in front of Les Perhac's dramatic sculpture of loons In Search of Wilderness at Terminal 2 West - is no small task. But few tasks are more rewarding. Here is my first-hand account of the Airport Authority's Take Your Child To Work Day held Thursday, April 24, 2008. I wrote it just after everything finally wound down that day!]

WOW! What can I say ... it was my privilege to spend the day implementing the program that the Airport Authority's Careers In Aviation Team worked so hard to develop for our kids who came and spent the day at San Diego International Airport for our annual “Take Your Child To Work Day”! My day began sometime around 6:30 a.m.; it’s now 4:30 p.m. and I’m finally at my desk to write this.

I can’t begin to take you through the range of emotions I've been feeling! For those of you who can relate: It’s been kind of like an “E” ticket ride at Disneyland! By the way ... do they still have "E" ticket rides at Disneyland? I think that's something they only used to have ... he he!

For Goodwill Ambassadors of the Airport Authority, our greatest sense of achievement is when we are able to share our knowledge with others who aren’t part of the aviation industry. Today I know we reached that goal!

In a previous post - The next generation of Goodwill Ambassadors - I shared some of the intimidation I was feeling about working with the older kids. Last night, as I was at my computer typing up the list of clues for their Scavenger Hunt, I was dreading coming in today. Well, I was helped by an awesome team who I’d like to thank for sharing their talents, gifts and knowledge with the kids: both Jeffs, Alicia, Sandra, Carol, Kevin, Ryan, Michelle, Lisa, Kim, Ed, Jon, Dat and Peggy. I wouldn’t have made it through this day if it hadn’t been for all of you!

Our goal was to create a program where the kids would not only have fun, but also learn something about what it takes to make an airport work on a daily basis. So we came up with a Scavenger Hunt that really put the kids to work.

So here are just some of my favorite pictures from the photo journals the teams put together today. Like (above) Blue Team leader Lisa of Airside Operations with team members, from left, Nick, David, Tiffany, Chanel, Nick and Matthew.

And here's a priceless shot (below) of Red Team members, from left, Evan, Courtney, team Leader Jeff of Human Resources, Colleen and Brett (in front) bringing art to life with a reenactment of Gary Hughes' popular sculpture At the Gate in the lower level of Terminal 2 West.

Well, how convincing do you think they were?

You also need to check out the web page the teams built, with Jon of Marketing and Communications and Dat of Information Technology as their teachers; it is so much more than I had expected.

There will definitely be another post on what we did today, as I can’t even begin to put it all in one post! We’ll see you back here soon with more of the kids' photo journals and perspectives from both the kids and their team leaders.

The next generation of Goodwill Ambassadors

One of the great opportunities available to Airport Authority employees is to participate in our annual Take Your Child To Work Day (also known at Take Your Daughters And Sons To Work Day). The children who come to 'work' that day are typically divided into two groups: 13 and older; and younger than 13. This year, I have the privilege of leading the employee team that is creating the agenda for the older group of kids.

I'll start at the very beginning of how this came about! It's not a big secret that I just LOVE kids! I've written in the past about the opportunities for internship positions at the Airport Authority, as well as how I was able to involve my own kids in my career as they were growing up. For me, this is where I feel I can be the best Goodwill Ambassador for the Airport Authority.

Recently, I was very sick at home on the couch, wishing I was anywhere else but there at the moment. As I was checking e-mails, I came across one from my co-worker Kim in Human Resources (she has the privilege of being the ultimate leader of this event … and to think that I was chewing my nails just over being asked to work with the group of older kids!) But I am getting ahead of myself here! I read her e-mail, which simply states: “I understand you have agreed to lead the Careers In Aviation (older kids) group for the Take Your Child To Work Day this year.”

My first thought was, "I am actually sick … so maybe I had some kind of out-of-body experience that I just don’t remember! My usual preference is to work with the younger kids, so I was feeling pretty intimidated by this statement. I called Kim to make sure of what I was supposed to do. We agreed to meet once I was back in the office and feeling better. And, as they say, “The rest is history!”

I have an incredible team of co-workers that have also agreed to participate in making this a fun- filled, but most importantly, an educational, experience for our kids. I can’t give anything away about what we are planning for them … so check back to see what the "CIA" Team will be doing for their day at San Diego International Airport!

It is all going to take place next week on Thursday, April 24 - so get ready to help create the next generation of Airport Authority Goodwill Ambassadors!

Someone special this way came

I was browsing the Ambassablog tonight to see who has visited our site. I like to watch the Ambassa-Stats section (located near the bottom of the right sidebar) to see where people are connecting from. I am always amazed to see from which foreign countries people are visiting! Tonight I could see Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Hsinchu, Taiwan (known as Taiwan's Silicon Valley!); Serbia; Calgary (Canada); Sardinia (Italy); and various states here in the U.S.

When I hovered over the little red squares on the Recent Visitors map, I noticed that we have visitors from both the east coast and the west coast of the U.S. - linking the two together. How COOL is that?!!!

I also stumbled upon evidence of visitors from another employee-based blog that is written by Southwest Airlines employees. It's called Nuts About Southwest and is located at blogsouthwest.com. So, of course, I had to click on the link and check it out. I am beginning to see how this can become very addictive!

I know that, as Goodwill Ambassadors for San Diego International Airport, our main goal with this blog is to educate not only our fellow SDIA employees, but the general public as well. It's nice to see how other aviation employees are also using an employee blog to educate their co-workers and the public about the aviation industry.

Speaking of checking out the Ambassa-Stats map, I noticed two locations in particular tonight! Vinita, Oklahoma and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now, you may be asking yourselves why these two cities catch my interest. Well, keep watching the Goodwill Ambassablog, and soon you'll find out what piques my curiosity about these two cities!

(Note: Check the sidebar to the right for a new feature on the Ambassablog - Brother Blogs - featuring live Web feeds of other aviation-related employee blogs. See what employees at organizations like Southwest Airlines and the Transportation Security Administration are saying!)

Valet parking comes to San Diego International Airport

WOW! Just think how fortunate we are, as Goodwill Ambassadors, to be able to share good news and interesting facts about the airport with our families, friends and community contacts. And think of how interesting the work we do here at the airport might be to those on the outside. As Goodwill Ambassadors, sharing that with others is one of the best things we can do.

For example, I get to work on the coolest projects here at the airport! Every day, it is reinforced just how fortunate I am to have this job. I look back over the projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on, such as helping new airlines set up their communications services at the airport – most recently Virgin America. I also was a member of the team that installed the airport’s free WiFi service in all the terminals! I learned so much working that project.

It’s always a great day when you get to learn something new! The most recent project I had the opportunity to help with is the airport’s new Valet Parking Service! Jennifer and Jim in Ground Transportation did an awesome job of getting this service up and running!

Lindbergh Parking, the company that operates the near-term parking lots at the airport, opened the Valet Parking operation for service at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 19. As you can see from this picture, it was a very successful first day! Passengers were using the service on the first day, even without the new services being advertised yet!

Pictured here are some of the friendly Valet Parking crew you’ll find curbside at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The Valet attendants can easily be spotted in their bright red jackets. You will also find friendly faces at the two Valet Parking cashier counters located inside both Terminals 1 and 2. These counters are located in Terminal 1 near the escalators that come down into the baggage claim area from the foot bridge, and in the Terminal 2 you see them just as you are walking from the baggage claim in Terminal 2 West to Terminal 2 East. The phone number for the new Valet Parking service is (619) 400-2121.

Until next time ...

TSA has a heart

One of the goals of the Goodwill Ambassador Program -- and one of our goals here at the Airport Authority -- is to have fun! So how can we have fun and still get our work done? Better yet, how can we share this fun with our tenants, passengers and others who pass through our airport?

A couple of weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised while working out in the terminals. I happened upon an area in Terminal 1 where I saw on display just what it’s like to have fun in our airport

I was walking back into Terminal 1 from the airside when I experienced the sensation of something falling from the ceiling. As I flinched and raised my hand to protect my head, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee laughed and said not to worry -- it was just their hearts! I stopped and looked up, and -- as you can see in the pictures here -- there were hearts attached to the ceiling to celebrate Valentine's Day!

My first thought was how everyone always groans whenever you mention TSA & airport in the same sentence! As our discussion continued, the TSA agent told me that they received so many compliments from passengers on the holiday decorations last December that they decided to put the hearts up for February. I asked what we had to look forward to ... maybe shamrocks in March?

Somewhere under the rainbow...

This entry I am calling alternatively All in a day's work! As many of my coworkers know by now, I love being around airplanes! I have to thank my Dad for giving me the love of planes. I remember when we were little kids, my dad would bring us down to Lindbergh Field and park at the foot of the runway so we could watch the planes land. I guess I have never lost the pure amazement at seeing these huge pieces of machinery landing ... as well as taking off! I actually have a bumper sticker in my cube that says "I ♥ Airplane Noise."

Last week Robyn & I were walking over to one of the back offices to pick up a laptop. It was raining, and when we walked out of the office we both looked up to see one of the most beautiful rainbows that I have ever seen! I could actually see where both ends met the ground! Usually the ends disappear before touching the ground. As we were standing there admiring this picture, it dawns on me that I can take a picture with my phone

So here you can see the pictures I took showing a plane taking off through the rainbow, as well as the rainbow framing planes on the tarmac. And if you look closely, you will see that the bottom picture captured a double rainbow!

This entry is just for the pure enjoyment of the beauty we can find around us if we look hard enough!


I LOVE working at this place!

Until next time ... Dennise

Goodwill Ambassadors of a younger sort

Hey! It’s me again . . . I am sitting here reminiscing on the events of the past year. It’s amazing to me that so much can happen over such a short period of time! You know how it is . . . the older we get, the faster it seems that time moves!

On a personal level, it seems that just yesterday my kids were little and following me around work when I’d come in to fix a phone line on a weekend. I love it when I’m walking through the terminals and I see families with small children going on trips to wherever it is they’re flying! The children are so fascinated with everything that makes the airport work. And the planes . . . hmmm . . . that seems to really make them think about the dynamics behind the design that keeps an object that size airborne! But I digress . . .

Looking back over the last year, one of the best opportunities I had again was the chance to participate in the Airport Authority’s “Take Your Child To Work” program. Last year it was enhanced with the creation of a “Careers in Aviation” program, which allowed the interns working at the airport to participate in workshops prepared by various departments throughout the Authority. Wow! By the way, it's easy to check out all the current internship opportunities at San Diego International Airport.

So what does this have to do with the Goodwill Ambassadors program? Well, talk about being an ambassador for the Airport Authority! Airport Authority employees who took time to meet and share their professions with those children and interns were some of the best ambassadors ever for the organization. Not to mention the fact that more than a few new, young, eager ambassadors for the airport were created!

This was not only a chance to share information and knowledge . . . but more importantly to have it passed on through these young people to other young people once they go back to school. And better yet, if some of these youngsters end up working at an airport at some point in the future, just imagine the fresh ideas they will bring to our industry!

Also creating more young ambassadors for the airport and the aviation industry is the Airport Authority's popular Airport Explorers Program and a special "Just for Kids" section of the Airport Authority's Web site, with fun activities like the one pictured below.

As Goodwill Ambassadors for the Airport Authority, it's good to remember that, as we share information about the airport with our friends, family and community contacts, we're also creating still more ambassadors for the Airport Authority.

Well, I’ve got to run for now. You know, “no rest for the weary!” Until next time . . .

Mission Impossible

Hmmm...I get this e-mail and it goes something like this (imagine the sound track from Mission Impossible playing in the background): "My mission, if I should choose to accept it, is to join a team of other Goodwill Ambassadors to participate in a first-ever blog for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority." I think to myself…"I’m a girl who likes to live life on the edge"…Not really, but it sounds exciting anyway!!!

So, what is it that I can contribute to this endeavor? Well, I'm hoping to be able to bring educational, interesting and mostly fun stuff to my part of this Goodwill Ambassablog! I get out and about in the terminals and also have the opportunity to work on some really fun teams here at the Airport Authority. So stay tuned for my unique views (and sense of humor), while hopefully learning some really cool stuff that goes on in and around the San Diego International Airport!

I was also part of the Speaker’s Bureau during the Airport Site Selection period -- by the way, that was a very educational experience for me. But even if we didn’t get a new location to add to or replace Lindbergh Field, as a Goodwill Ambassador I've had the chance to learn about how the Airport Authority is still working hard to address the San Diego region's air transportation needs. Heck, we are just beginning! You can see see for yourself by going to the Authority Web site at www.san.org.

By the way, if you have a question or comment for me, or a question about the airport that you just haven’t been able to get an answer to, feel free to ask it below by clicking on 'comments.' If I don’t have the answer, I surely can find someone here that should be able to help me give you an answer! So, until later...

Home Treat Alert! The multimedia feature below may not be accessible at work. But you can log on at home and check it out there!