As 2025 came to a close, and as we’ve ventured into these first weeks of 2026, I’ve spent some time reflecting on the year behind us, the people who made it meaningful, and the direction Alder Airfield Services is heading in 2026.
This year took us from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to San Antonio International Airport, and now into new conversations through Denver’s “Meet the Primes” program. We’re growing. We’re stretching. We’re stepping into new rooms. But one thing is very clear to me as we look ahead: we can expand without ever compromising who we are.
At Alder, we believe something simple (and I will stand by this every single day): kindness is not soft. It’s how you build safe, effective, and efficient worksites.
Lessons, Growth, and Gratitude
Aviation construction is complex. It’s loud, fast-moving, high-risk work that demands focus and coordination at every level. The FAA defines safety culture as shared values, actions, and behaviors that put safety ahead of competing goals. This includes things like trust, open communication, and continuous learning. Anyone who’s spent time on an active airfield knows that’s not theory. That’s survival.
What research confirms, and what I’ve seen with my own boots on the ground, is that strong safety culture directly improves outcomes. Leadership commitment, clear communication, hazard recognition, and training all matter. When organizations invest in safety culture, they don’t just prevent incidents, they reduce downtime, limit rework, improve morale, and keep projects moving.
Our focus on people, proactive planning, and kindness is the right and smart thing to do because we work in an industry where delays and missteps are costly, and dangerous.
The Human Element
Back in December, I drove past Terminal F at DFW and caught myself slowing down to watch the progress and thinking about how far this journey has taken me. Years ago, I was an escort and flagger on the AOA, working to pay off a wedding bill, learning airfield operations one shift at a time. I didn’t have a grand plan then, just a willingness to work hard, pay attention, and treat people well.
Those early days still shape how I lead.
Sometimes it looks like showing up with snacks for a crew that’s been grinding through long hours. Sometimes it’s working side by side with my adult son on the airfield; a moment that grounds me in gratitude every time. Sometimes it’s standing alongside partners like Garver, Parkhill, and Silent Falcon UAS Technologies and feeling that quiet confidence that comes when teams trust each other.
These moments matter more than people realize. Research consistently shows that recognition, engagement, and positive relationships improve safety compliance and performance. But honestly? You don’t need a study to know that people work better when they feel seen.
Collaboration is a Priority
Airfield construction has a lot of moving parts. Engineers. Crews. Project managers. Subcontractors. Airport ops. Safety teams. When those pieces don’t align, friction builds fast and risk follows.
When teams communicate early, align goals, and take shared responsibility, outcomes improve. Projects stay on schedule. Budgets hold. Problems get solved before they escalate.
At Alder, collaboration is foundational to our operations. We listen closely and communicate clearly. We show respect especially when things are hard.
That approach comes straight from my background in counseling and education. I’ve spent years learning how systems work and how people behave inside them. When people feel safe to speak up, mistakes get caught sooner. When communication is clear, stress levels drop. When trust exists, teams perform better.
Planning and Living Our Values
On an active airfield, safety planning happens in real time, where every decision carries weight.
The FAA’s Construction Safety and Phasing Plan (CSPP) gives us the framework — but a plan only works when everyone involved is aligned and engaged. That alignment doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from clarity, collaboration, and shared ownership.
We don’t just follow safety processes at Alder, we help build them with our partners. Escorting, flagging, access control, coordination: all of it works better when everyone understands not just the what, but the why.
Learning Never Stops
I don’t believe growth is something you wait for.
At the end of last year, I attended an ASCE meeting as a non-engineer and listened with full focus, soaking in conversations about phasing strategies and complex engineering challenges. I walked out with new insights that directly inform how we support engineers and project teams every day.
That curiosity matters. The aviation and construction industries rely on the continuous collection of data, reporting concerns, and making real improvements. In this industry, humility and openness are strengths that make teams safer and work better.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we move into 2026, Alder is stepping into new opportunities, more projects, expanded partnerships, and hopefully work across new states. But what won’t change is our foundation:
We will lead with kindness.
We will treat safety as a shared responsibility.
We will build relationships rooted in trust and respect.
We will communicate early, clearly, and often.
These values are practical drivers of safer, more engaged, and more effective teams.
There will be more runway entrances. More CSPP briefings. More long days in hard hats and high-vis. And at the end of each project day, we’ll still believe what we’ve always believed: how we treat each other is what keeps people safe, projects moving, and partnerships strong.
Here’s to continued learning, meaningful growth, and safe, successful work on every airfield we touch in 2026.
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