About

Winchester Regional Airport Authority Act of 1987

Authority business meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of each month at 5:00PM in the Terminal Conference Room located at 491 Airport Road, Winchester, VA 22602.

Board Members

William Pifer (Bill), Chairman, City of Winchester

William Pifer is a director from the City of Winchester and has been on the WRAA Board of Directors for ten years. He has a background in real estate management, as well as political campaigns and congressional members. With immense expertise in general business operations, real estate, and politics, Pifer has used these skills to better the Winchester Airport through various positions on the WRAA Board and help grow the airport as a whole. He is especially proud of his help in the growth and success of improving the business aspect of the airport, something he humbly admits to being a part of. Pifer enjoys tennis and golfing, and occasionally flies private aircraft. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, both college students at James Madison University.

Gene Fisher, Vice-Chairman, Frederick County

Gene Fisher is a director from Frederick County and has been on the WRAA Board of Directors for seventeen years. Fisher is a retired Civil Engineer and Physical Plant Director at Shenandoah University and one of his most satisfying achievements was serving on the Frederick County Board of Supervisors for fourteen years. Fisher is married with two children, and his interests include farming, fishing, hunting, and equestrian-based endurance riding.

Rhett Champagne, Frederick County

Rhett Champagne is a director from Frederick country and has been on the WRAA Board of Directors for almost two years. He is a retired AFDW Director of Safety and 11th wing Chief of Safety. Champagne now works in the Headquarters Air Force training and readiness directorate. His twenty-eight years of operational experience in aviation and airfields have positively contributed to his role as a WRAA Director. Champagne enjoys doing things outdoors during his free time, including hiking, biking, or working on the lawn and garden. He also enjoys cooking and having friends and family over to share the meal, he has a wife and four adult children

Carley Walker, Frederick County

Carley Walker has been an WRAA Director from Frederick County for two and a half years. She has a background in aviation, marketing, and non-profit management; all critical skills that helped her grow STEM Flights, a youth aviation education nonprofit, into a national program with headquarters at OKV. She uses her knowledge of aviation combined with marketing abilities to help in educational community outreach, aviation events, strategizing fundraising and relationship building, and supporting the airport's community engagement priorities, the latter of which has significantly enhanced the Winchester Regional Airport as a whole. During Carley’s free time, she enjoys hiking, running, archery, and kayaking, and is married with two children and a Portuguese Water Dog.

Thomas Leone,  Frederick County

Thomas Leone is a director from Frederick County and has been on the WRAA Board of Directors for three years. Leone has vast experience in general and commercial aviation from the past thirty-six years and has used this experience as a valuable asset to learn from others. In Leone’s free time, he flies GA aircraft and helps others with projects at the Winchester airport. As a pilot, he is proud to have continued his career in a time of uncertainty in the industry and is married with two children.

John Eberhardt, City of Winchester

John Eberhardt has been a WRAA Director for the City of Winchester for two years. Due to his background in Software development and technology, he has made an impact as a WRAA Director and works in aviation data and technology for navigation and safety. During his free time, he enjoys playing with his kids, collecting books and art, skiing, fixing his historic home, and racing and working on old cars. Eberhardt’s most significant personal achievement is deploying the first public navigational aid system for drones, the Virginia Flight Information Exchange. He is happily married with two children.

Frank Haun, Shenandoah County

Frank Haun has been on the WRAA Board of Directors for fourteen years representing Shenandoah County. His professional background is in Manufacturing Quality/Management; he is also on the Town Council of Woodstock, Virginia. Haun’s connection to Winchester Regional Airport is rooted in his experiences as a corporate pilot based at Winchester. Other pursuits connected to Winchester Regional Airport include flight instructing, aircraft maintenance, aerial spraying for gypsy moths and forest fire observation flights. Achievements Haun is most proud of are his pilot certificates, community service through his Town Council and Airport Authority positions, as well as coaching and refereeing for Shenandoah Valley Youth Lacrosse. Haun enjoys flying skydivers and flight instructing as well as outdoor activities and working on his property. He is married with two adult children.

Corey Sullivan, City Council Liaison 

Corey Sullivan is a City Council Liaison for the City of Winchester and has been appointed by the City Council for two years. Sullivan is a member of the Winchester City Council, representing the Third Ward, and a Product Manager at the company Industrial Physics for the global line of Material Test Equipment. His knowledge of different levels of government from local, to state, to federal, has helped him better understand how the WRAA operates and interacts and is beneficial for his role as a liaison. Through Sullivan’s job as a Product Manager, he oversees quality control testing of various parts and components used on aircraft, satellites, drones, and other products that give him a chance to work with companies such as Boeing, SpaceX, and many others. His overall experiences as a liaison has given him a chance to see

Clarke County - Vacant

Paul Anderson, Historian

Nick Sabo, A.A.E., Executive Director/Airport Manager

Nick Sabo is Executive Director of the Winchester Regional Airport Authority.  In this role, Nick oversees strategy, policy, and daily operations of the Winchester Regional Airport.  Previously, Nick was a commissioned officer in the US Air Force, during which he earned certifications as an air traffic controller through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and oversaw airfield operations at two stateside locations.  His tenure included two overseas deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  After military service, Nick served as Assistant Manager at the Frederick Municipal Airport, the 2^nd busiest airport in Maryland, and as an adjunct faculty member at the Community College of Baltimore County.  

Currently, Nick is also the President of the Virginia Airport Operators Council (VAOC), a nonprofit organization that advocates for the interests of all 66 public-use airports in the Commonwealth.  Nick is a private pilot and recognized as an Accredited Airport Executive through the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), a distinction held by less than 10% of its membership.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Purdue University and a Master of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry-Riddle University.   In his spare time, he enjoys music, travel, and everyday adventures with his lovely wife Mary and sons Henry and Jack.

David Foley, C.M., Operations Supervisor

Alyssa Gardner, Flightline Supervisor

Alyssa Gardner brings over 10 years of industry experience to her role as Flight Line Supervisor at the Winchester Regional Airport.  In this capacity, Alyssa is responsible for the safe and effective delivery of aviation fuels and services to a diverse fleet of aircraft operating in the Shenandoah Valley.  Previously, Alyssa served our country as an Aviation Ordnanceman Supervisor in the United States Navy, responsible for a team of 15 personnel.  Prior to her current role, she worked as a Ramp Agent for United Airlines at their mid-Atlantic hub at Dulles International Airport (IAD).  Alyssa earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation management from Liberty University and is a commercial pilot with over 350 hours of pilot in command (PIC) time.  She thrives in fast-paced environments and is always eager to take on new challenges and opportunities for growth.  Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys making memories with her daughter and flying.  Her dedication to excellence and passion for aviation makes her a valuable team member at the Winchester Regional Airport. 

Bonnie Jones, Finance Clerk