Not alone any more

The world of airport employee blogs is a pretty small one. In fact, we used to think that San Diego International Airport's Goodwill Ambassablog was the only airport employee blog ... anywhere! But just the other week, we got word of an employee blog at another airport - Springfield-Branson National Airport in Springfield, Missouri. Their employee blog is called Flight Blog and is moderated by Kent Boyd, public information and marketing manager for Springfield-Branson National Airport. The blogosphere thrives on cross-linking, so we are pleased to include a live feed of Flight Blog (featuring its two most recent posts) under our Brother Blogs section in the right-hand sidebar. There it joins live feeds from three other (so far) aviation-related employee blogs: the TSA's Evolution of Security, Southwest Airlines' Nuts About Southwest and Delta Air Lines' Under the Wing. (OK, so we're still the only employee blog - that we know of - at an international airport.)

Daughters and sons and airports

San Diego International Airport participates each year in the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. This year on April 24 we tried something a little different. We wanted the kids to have fun, while at the same time learn something about what makes an airport operate.

Their morning was filled with a Scavenger Hunt. Each team was given a list of 75 questions or statements to complete. Part of their task was to create a photo journal of the hunt. The afternoon was spent creating this special web page in the 'Just For Kids' section of the airport's Web site. The children also created posts for the Goodwill Ambassablog, so they could share their feelings about how they spent the day at the airport. Stay tuned for those posts right here, soon!

In the meantime, click here and you will be brought to this map with 17 clickable points on it, all of which link directly to pages created by the kids who participated. It was a blast. See for yourself!

Earth Day every day

Happy Earth Day! I hope everyone takes the time today to think about taking care of our planet's resources and preserving them for future generations.

I’m glad that, here at San Diego International Airport, there are numerous efforts going on to make sure we are good stewards of our natural resources and the environment. We have an award-winning recycling program, a diligent Environmental Affairs Department, a celebrated California Least Tern (pictured) protection program, and a new Sustainability Policy approved by the Airport Authority Board in January – just to name a few of them!

If you’re not familiar with the term sustainability, I think you’re going to be hearing a lot more about it! It’s a worldwide initiative that centers on people and businesses making prudent decisions to make their resources last longer. You can read more about the term and its origins here.

The Airport Authority’s Sustainability Policy focuses on four elements:
- Economic Viability
- Operational Excellence
- Natural Resource Preservation and Conservation
- Social Responsibility

Those sound like very worthwhile and sensible principles to me! We're fortunate to work for an organization that places value on being socially responsible. And, as Goodwill Ambassadors, we should be proud to talk to people in our community about the role the airport is playing as a responsible guardian of the region’s resources.

Airport Authority employees will have a chance to become more familiar with these initiatives at the upcoming employee Division Open House in June. This year’s theme is - you guessed it – Sustainability! So, keep recycling, keep thinking green and keep alert for ways that you can play an important role in the airport's sustainability initiatives.

With the help of all employees, I bet we can find ways to make every day Earth Day around here!

Being an employee blogger

[NOTE: Two of the Goodwill Ambassabloggers have turned in the following post about their first-hand experiences in employee blogging as a special message for attendees of the annual convention of the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO), which is taking place this week in South Lake Tahoe, California. At the conference, a presentation about the airport's Goodwill Ambassador Program and the Goodwill Ambassablog was shared with public information officials from several California cities and agencies.]

From Ambassablogger Ryan:

Blogging for the Airport Authority’s Goodwill Ambassador Program has been a great experience. At first I was concerned that I’d run out of ideas or material that would be blog-worthy, but once I started thinking about it I found inspiration everywhere. At San Diego International Airport, I find ideas all over. The blog gives me the chance to ask questions and explore areas of the Authority that I may not have previously known about. The blog is about relaying quality information to airport staff, friends, families and the community.

Here are a few tips that I’d share for first-time bloggers:

• Don’t be afraid to use your own “voice”. I want people who read the blog that these are really my thoughts and feelings.


• Show synergies. I love to draw multiple departments into one posting to show how what one department does influences another (ie- Hablamos Espanol Ahora explains how the programs that Training & Organizational Development help me out in Airport Planning).


• Use graphics, photos and hyperlinks. A picture is worth a thousand words, let people explore what interests them.


• Involve as many people as you can. My co-workers have all jumped at the opportunity to get involved in my postings.


• Have fun. If you feel like doing posts has become a “chore” it is time to take a fresh approach.

Happy Blogging!


From Ambassablogger Dennise:

When I first received the request to participate as one of the original employee bloggers for San Diego international Airport, I was a little intimidated! My first reaction was: “I don’t even know what a blog is!” Well, I can tell you all, it has been one of the best projects I’ve had the opportunity to participate in at the Airport Authority!

When I heard that the purpose of the blog was to help educate my co-workers, as well as the public (even though this was the part that scared me the most!) I knew I definitely wanted to be a part of this project. I decided I wanted to be able to encourage people to have a dialogue with us. On that note, it's not all a piece of cake: I'm still trying to figure out how to write posts that encourage our readers to give us more feedback.

The two accomplishments I'm most proud of as a Goodwill Ambassablogger are:

1. The TSA asking us if they could republish in their local employee newsletter a Goodwill Ambassablog post I wrote about them: 'TSA has a heart'


2. Southwest Airlines putting a direct link to the Goodwill Ambassablog in the 'Link Luv' section of their wildly popular employee blog, Nuts About Southwest! As those familiar with the blogosphere know, getting linked like that to a very successful blog is a sure way to drive more traffic to your own blog. This came about as a result of posts on the Ambassablog (and comments generated by those posts) regarding Southwest Airlines, like the one Ryan wrote about their new boarding procedures, and the one I wrote about the different kinds of visitors coming to our blog.

It's an amazing feeling when you realize you can create these wonderful, unique ties with other organizations that are your agency's important partners, like the TSA and Southwest Airlines are for our airport (Southwest is our biggest carrier, responsible for more than a third of all passenger traffic at SDIA). And it's not only about connecting with entities in your same industry, but also with people globally. I believe there is so much more to learn and discover - and so many more ties to build. We’ll find some in places we’d least expect!

When it comes to employee blogging, the best tip I can leave with you, and your fellow employees, is to believe in yourselves. What you and they have to say is important, and an employee blog can be a suprisingly effective and beneficial way to say it. With our voices, we can each make a difference - where we work and in the lives of others!

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!

Getting the word out

The story of the Goodwill Ambassablog and the Goodwill Ambassador Program at San Diego International Airport was shared with top government communicators from dozens of federal, state and local public agencies yesterday at the Social Media for Government Conference in Washington, D.C. Here's a quick list of just some of the agencies who heard our story:

• U.S. Navy
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• TSA - Transportation Security Administration
• Centers for Disease Control
• Social Security Administration
• U.S. Geoligical Survey
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• State of Louisiana
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• California Department of Social Services - Child Protective Services
• U.S. Department of Transportation
• National Institutes of Health
• Provincial Government of British Columbia - Education Ministry
• U.S. Department of State - Office of eDiplomacy
• City of Scottsdale, Arizona
• NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• City of Minneapolis
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs

The presentation concluded with the conference delegates watching Ambassablogger Mary's special post (below) go up live on the site.

Stay tuned for a report on a similar presentation taking place Friday to delegates at the annual conference of the California Association of Public Information Officials.

A message to government communicators in Washington, D.C.

Hello delegates to the Social Media for Government Conference in Alexandria, Virginia! Springtime in the Washington, D.C. area must be nice, if this lovely picture posted in an earlier Ambassablog posting about your conference is any indication. But, hey, here in sunny San Diego we're not complaining either:
We've arranged for this special posting just for you, from one of the original employee bloggers at the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. I'm Mary, an executive assistant in the Administration Division. I've been posting on the Ambassablog since its start in January, 2008. It's great to be able to share a message about our employee blog with government communicators from around the country.

It’s been a really fun experience to be a first-time employee blogger for the Goodwill Ambassablog. First of all, it’s been really great to have an outlet for the enthusiasm I have for working here at San Diego International Airport. I appreciate getting to express the pride I feel, such as when I got to use this blog tell my peers how I thought they came together as an amazing team in the aftermath of the San Diego firestorms last October.

The Goodwill Ambassablog also helps me keep my contacts in the community informed in a really fun and interesting way. Instead of me trying to remember factoids or describe a picture or a recall an exact Website link, all I have to do is direct them to http://www.ambassablog.com/. It’s so easy for our blog's viewers to have great content available in an interactive way right at their fingertips.

A special moment for me happened recently when my relatives came over on Easter. As each one entered my home, they gave me kudos and comments about how much they’re enjoying reading our employee blog. And it’s not just my postings they’re interested in, but the whole site, with its attention-grabbing visuals and varied content.

I would definitely recommend employee blogging to other companies, both for its internal community-building benefits and for what it does for external audiences, as well. If some of you already have employee blogs at your organizations -- or when you decide to get one started -- we'd love to see it! You can place a link to it by adding a comment to this posting. We might even feature it in our Brother Blogs section.

I feel like our employee blog is still young, but we’ve seen so many great things come out of it already. And I think it has the potential to keep growing into much, much more! Have a great time at your conference!

Hot shots from SAN City!

Enjoy these photos from San Diego International Airport's Goodwill Ambassador Session #4, held April 8-9, 2008. Airport Authority employees were put to the test in a fun but challenging game encompassing the world of 'SAN City' and tasked with pushing a major airport development project through to completion, navigating the required steps at various levels of government. A special thanks to our shutterbug, Cynthia. Stay tuned for more pictures from SAN City ... and an Ambassablogger post about the session. [NOTE: If you cannot view the photo slide show below, chances are you don't have the latest version of Adobe Flash installed on your system. Airport Authority employees encountering this problem should contact the IT Department to get the latest Flash version installed on their computers.]


And here's a musical reminder of all the fun:



Home Treat Alert! Attention Airport Authority employees: The multimedia feature above may not be accessible at work. But you can log on at home and check it out there!

A conversation about Airport Land Use Planning - Part 2 of 2

OK, here is this second part of my interview about airport land use compatibility planning with Sandi and Ed (pictured above, with me on the right, in front of our offices at San Diego International Airport's Terminal 2). You can read the first part of my interview with these two just below this post.

RYAN: What does it mean to the general public after an Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for a particular airport is adopted?

• SANDI: The plan will help protect people from dangers that could arise from, for example, constructing housing in unsafe areas near airports.

RYAN: If I wanted to build a 24-hour buffet restaurant near the Jacumba airstrip, what process would I go through?

• SANDI: You? It would go bankrupt -- I’ve seen how much you eat! (chuckle)
• ED: I wouldn’t do 24 hours -- there wouldn’t be enough demand in Jacumba.
• SANDI: The property owner would submit an application to the County …
• ED: ... and the County would send it over to us at the Airport Authority. (Note: Ed used to be a planner for the County.)
• SANDI: We’d see if the project was compatible with the adopted ALUCP and make a recommendation to the Airport Land Use Commission (the same group that is the Airport Authority Board).

(Note: Here's a picture of Sandi and Ed enjoying a meal at Ryan's 24-Hour Buffet restaurant in Jacumba. Just kidding -- consider it a belated April Fool's joke.)

R: We all read a lot about the Sunroad building near Montgomery Field. Can you summarize the real issue there?

• ED: What building are you talking about? (chuckle) Seriously, I remember going by that building each day as it was going up, back when I worked for the County, and thinking, “Wow, that is tall!” Now I use it to explain to everyone what my job is with the Authority: “I help prevent future Sunroad building conflicts -- hopefully!”
• SANDI: The bottom line is that the FAA was concerned about the height of the building and its impact on airport operations and public safety.

RYAN: How does the work you do interact with our Airport Noise Mitigation Department or our Quieter Home Program?

• SANDI: Sjohnna at the Quieter Home Program and Garret in Airport Noise Mitigation are nice. We like looking at Garret’s vacation photos ...
• ED: Yeah, Garret sent me a cool photo like this of the Hawaiian Airlines plane with the “Raiders” logo on it when it landed at SDIA. Raider Nation, baby! (pumps fist):

(Note: Sandi is a Denver Broncos fan.)

• SANDI: While we all deal with the community in different ways, it all comes back to doing what is best for the residents of San Diego County.
• ED: There you go again with the politician response!

RYAN: How does the work the ALUC staff does impact the long-term plans and goals of the Authority?

• SANDI: Through two goals -- protecting airport operations at San Diego International Airport and promoting air transportation at every airport in the county.

RYAN: What are two key thoughts you want to leave our Goodwill Ambassadors?

• ED: That we are located in Terminal 2, in the old British Airways lounge … and we have the best bathrooms!
  
• SANDI: Don’t say that, Landside Operations will get mad. 90% of the Authority works on what happens inside this airport; we are responsible for what happens outside the airport.
• ED: Yes, we really are the "Land Use Police" for every airport in the county.

RYAN: That wraps up my interview. And here you thought Sandi’s only job was raising money for United Way. Kidding. I hope this sparks interest in the ALUC staff and what they do. Do you have any more questions for them?

A conversation about Airport Land Use Planning - Part 1 of 2

[First of two parts.]

I am really excited about this posting, since it is being timed to coincide with the release, in draft form, of two important Airport Land Use Compatibility Planning (ALUCP) documents from the Airport Authority today.

What the heck is ALUCP, you ask? When the Airport Authority was created by the California State Legislature in 2003, it was given three specific functions under state law:

• Operate San Diego International Airport.
  
• Plan for the long-term air transportation needs of the San Diego region.
• Serve as the Airport Land Use Commission for all civilian and military airports and airfields in San Diego County.

Did you know that, of our roughly 300 Airport Authority employees, we have only two full-time staff members who work exclusively on the third function? Meet Sandi and Ed (pictured above), two colleagues of mine in the Airport Planning Department. Their responsibilities include overseeing preparation of Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans -- or ALUCP's -- which address land use around the county's aviation facilities. These facilities are which are shown on this map (click on map to see it larger):

(Note: Tijuana International Airport is located across the border in Mexico and so is not under ALUC jurisdiction.)

With the ALUCP's for Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton both being released today, I decided to sit down with Sandi and Ed for a lunch-time discussion on airport land use compatibility planning. We also touched on such topics as what it's like having our offices in Terminal 2 (while most other Airport Authority employees work in the Commuter Terminal or adjacent West Wing) ... and 24-hour buffets.

RYAN: In plain terms, what is an Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan?

• SANDI: A plan that protects people on the ground and property…
• ED: …Well, it’s a document.
• SANDI: Yes, a document that protects people from excessive noise and still allows an airport to operate without major physical constraints.
• ED: It has an impact on what gets built around an airport. So, basically, it addresses land uses around an airport. And folks can click on the handy link you're gonna privide (above) to get the full scoop on what an ALUCP is.

RYAN: What criteria are used in developing plans? Is any one of the criteria more important than another?

• SANDI: There are four criteria: noise, safety, airspace protection and overflight. None is the most important, but the potential impacts on land use are the greatest with safety and noise.
  
• ED: The irony is that, in a safety zone, it isn’t safe; people shouldn’t be there.

RYAN: What role does public input play in the Airport Land Use Compatibility Planning process?

• SANDI: It is crucial. The members of the public that have participated in the ALUC Technical Advisory Group (ATAG) and its sub-committees have provided comments on the ALUCP documents. All the input in the documents reflect these comments, which represent many of the needs of the community.
• ED: You sound like a politician.
• SANDI: What is funny is that I wanted to be a speechwriter when I was growing up. Well, this process is about reaching consensus, wouldn’t you agree, Ed?
• ED: Huh? Sorry, I wasn’t listening. (chuckle)

RYAN: Ok, ok ... So, are we the only county in California going through this process?

• SANDI: No. There is a body designated as an Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) in every county in the state. And they are all required to have Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans for every airport in their jurisdiction.
• ED: I wonder what some of the other counties are doing ...
• SANDI: All are required to follow the California Airport Land Use Planning Handbook, but we are the only county doing it through a public participation process as comprehensive as ours. Riverside and Solano counties are both looking at the process we used here in San Diego.

RYAN: Since 2004, which of the airports in San Diego County have had their ALUCP's updated?

• SANDI: Six so far -- the small airports of Agua Caliente, Fallbrook, Ocotillo, Jacumba, Borrego Valley and Ramona. We call them the "rural airports" because they are in less developed areas.

RYA: You are about to release, in draft form, two more plans for Camp Pendleton and Miramar. These will go before the Airport Land Use Commission for consideration later in 2008. Why do we do plans for the military bases in the county?

• SANDI: We are legally required to prepare plans for all airports in the county, regardless of whether they are civilian or military.
• ED: Because we are "World-Class," obviously.
• SANDI: Neither of the Navy air installations in the county -- Naval Air Station North Island and Naval Outlying Field Imperial Beach -- have plans yet, but we are working to fix that.

That's the first half of my interview with Sandi and Ed. Stay tuned for the second half tomorrow!

O, those Goodwill Ambassador session memories!

I just want to take a few moments to talk about how great the Goodwill Ambassador Program sessions were last year. Each one was very interesting and informative. It’s nice to get together with fellow Airport Authority employees who are interested in being knowledgeable Goodwill Ambassadors and representing the airport well in our community. And, of course, it’s fun!

My favorite part at the first session -- on our airport’s history -- was Joe and his stellar impersonation of Charles Lindbergh. Joe sure committed to the role – what a great actor we have in our midst! To see his starring role, check out the Goodwill Ambassa-Show video presented in a very early post on the Ambassablog. Remember (Airport Authority employees only), the video is a Home Treat, so you'll want to watch it from your computer at home:



At the second Goodwill Ambassador session -- which covered the airport as it is today -- my competitive nature came out as I enthusiastically cheered for my team to win the In The Know, 4-In-A-Row game. It got a bit contentious for a while there, as the teams tried to accuse each other of bending the rules ... what a riot it was! It was fun to memorize facts and figures about the airport in preparation for that fun game.

And my all-time favorite Goodwill Ambassador moment from last year was Professor Anton (below) visiting us from the future in the session about the future of the airport. I certainly hope we get to hear more predictions about the future from our eccentric friend, Professor Anton!


You can see some great graphics for each session, created by the talented Sharon and Jon in the Marketing & Communications Division, by going to the Ambassa-Past section of the Ambassablog, located toward the bottom of the left sidebar.

What were your favorite moments from the 2007 Goodwill Ambassador sessions? I’m looking forward to seeing you at the first 2008 sessions next week!

The Ambassablog goes to Washington

It seems the Goodwill Ambassablog is a true trailblazer in employee blogging at government agencies. So much so, it has become a sought-after case study for government communicators around the country. The story of the Goodwill Ambassablog will be presented to delegates in sessions at two government communications conferences taking place this month:

• The Social Media for Government Conference in Washington, D.C.;
• And the Annual Conference of the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) in South Lake Tahoe, California

To learn more about the conferences, click the links above or the pictures below.

And click this link for more information on the presentation that will be given about the Goodwill Ambassablog: Don't Be Afraid of Employee Bloggers (Search for "Ambassablog.")

Plans are under way for the Goodwill Ambassabloggers to create a special interactive post on the Ambassablog to greet conference delegates on behalf of all Airport Authority employees. In addition, special posts from the conferences will bring you the reaction of delegates from around the country to this innovative new communications tool at the Airport Authority.

Ambassa-Quiz #7 answer: Central Park

Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #7 asked which of the following landmarks attracted the most visitors/passengers in 2007. Listed below is the amount of 2007 visits for each:

1. Central Park (New York City) - 25 million
2. San Diego International Airport - 18.3 million (passengers)
   
3. Disney World - 17.1 million
4. Disneyland - 14.9 million
5. Sea World San Diego - 4.3 million
6. San Diego Zoo - 4 million
7. Balboa Park (San Diego) - 500,000

So New York City's Central Park comes out on top, no doubt due to the fact that it sits in the middle of the nation's largest city. But San Diego International Airport -- with 18.3 million passengers in 2007 -- is not far behind, serving more passengers than the number of visitors to each of the other popular attractions on the list.

Stay tuned in the near future for Goodwill Ambassa-Quiz #8.

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!)