"Duluth's airport director ready to travel on"

Friday, September 27, 2002

Airports' director ready to travel on
Klosowski retires today
BY CHRIS HAVENS
The Duluth (MN) News Tribune


Ray Klosowski sometimes drives around Duluth International Airport late
at night just to see what's going on.

No doubt he has already worked eight hours earlier in the day as the
Duluth Airport Authority's executive director. But he likes to keep his
fingers on the pulse of the airport's operations. "It's a busy place,"
he said.

Today, though, the 61-year-old Klosowski will relax that grip and begin
his retirement.

He has been in his fifth year of a three-year contract and, after
overseeing millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements at the
Duluth International Airport, he's ready to retire.

No more late-night phone calls and no more mountains of paperwork. Now
he can spend time with his wife, Diana, and his grandchildren.
Klosowski, who was born in Moose Lake and now lives in Duluth, can go
west and see Glacier National Park in Montana and Banff National Park in
Alberta, Canada. "I also have a hankering to see New Zealand and parts
of Australia," he said.

He will take up golf.

"I've gotten a lot more out of this job than I've given it," he said. As
executive director, Klosowski was responsible for overseeing day-to-day
operations, securing project funding and luring companies to rent
airport land.

Bryan Ryks, former director of the St. Cloud airport, will take over
Klosowski's duties.

"It's a big job filling in after Ray, but I certainly feel I can
continue keeping the airport moving in the right direction," he said.

Ryks said Klosowski has left a legacy of finding federal money for
infrastructure projects, such as new buildings, security improvements
and runway enhancements. In Klosowski's time, the airport authority has
received more than $10 million from the federal government.

Klosowski is most proud of helping to get money for a high-tech landing
and runway lighting system that allows planes to land in bad weather.
"We have the same capabilities as the Twin Cities," he said.

Klosowski has airports and flying in his blood.

He joined the Air National Guard in 1963. He got his wings and took to
the skies as a pilot in 1964. He worked his way through the ranks and
served as commander of the Minnesota Air National Guard from 1995 to
1998.

Wayne Gatlin, former major general of the Air National Guard, remembers
recruiting Klosowski. "We put him to work and he rose from a lieutenant
to a general," he said. "He has done wonderful things at the airport."

Transitioning from military life to civilian life has been a challenge,
Klosowski said.

"In the military, you can order something and it gets done," Klosowski
said. "It's different on the civilian side."

Klosowski described his management style as laissez-faire, although he
always wanted to know what was going on.

Airport operations director Shaun Germolus, who worked for Klosowski,
says, "Ray gave me a lot of autonomy here to do a lot of things. He
allowed me to take charge in a lot of areas, and I had a lot of respect
for that."

Bob Heimbach, former president and 10-year member of the Airport
Authority board, credited Klosowski with identifying the airport and its
surrounding land as one of the area's key opportunities for economic
development. "Ray managed issues at the airport beautifully," he said.

Recently, however, Klosowski and the Airport Authority have found
themselves embroiled in a battle with residents on Park Point about
fencing at Sky Harbor Airport.

Overall, however, Klosowski says the job has been fun.

"It's a constantly changing picture, which is sometimes frustrating but
always exciting," Klosowski said.


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