As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m reflecting on our mission to bring emotional well-being to the construction safety industry—and celebrating the people who make it possible. What we have at Alder Airfield Services is special. We have a community of dedicated professionals who show up every day to ensure safety, efficiency, and care on our nation’s airfields.… Read more »
LinkedIn recently reunited me with my Austrian second cousin, whom I hadn’t seen since childhood. Technology is just wild, isn’t it? We used to play together in my relative’s 300-year-old farmhouse, complete with an attic and an old spindle. Those memories got me thinking about where we come from and how geography, history, and circumstance… Read more »
Halloween has always been my favorite time of year. I love the creativity, the imagination, the chance to transform ordinary spaces into something magical or…spooky. I have scaled back a bit over the years, but I used to go all out. We’re talking full-blown decorations: fog machines, glowing pumpkins, creepy music, the works. There’s something… Read more »
Apparently I’m a morning person. Or at least I’ve become one. When I first started showing up to jobsites in the dark of morning, the sites were pretty much what you’d expect: tired, coffee-clutching men who had been doing this kind of work far longer than I. The airfield is not exactly the kind of… Read more »
On a recent Saturday morning in September, the sun was shining, the air carried a toasty Texas warmth that always encourages me to take more time for reflection … and more coffee. Like my morning brew, my gratitude has felt especially bold, rich (and a little sweet) these days. Not long ago we were celebrating my graduation from Denver International… Read more »
As a mental health clinician in Northern California, I often visited children in their schools. We often dealt with some tough stuff, but we had a lot of fun, too. One of my favorite memories of the classroom is when the kids held a fundraiser where they sold bracelets they had made. One had a… Read more »
“Kids, let’s talk about the real importance of a good night’s sleep.” For whatever reason, that’s how I imagine comedian Bob Saget would open this blog if he were writing it. And honestly, he wouldn’t be wrong, because a little bit of good rest is something I really think we all need. Maybe a little… Read more »
I’m still riding the high from an incredible moment recently. I was nominated for a spot on the list of Top 100 Women in Aerospace & Aviation to Follow on LinkedIn 2025! This award that truly caught me by surprise. Ask Derek about my reaction, and it’ll probably include the phrase, “Holy Guacamole!” While I… Read more »
Each year, Derek and I head to Big Sur, California, for Hipnic, an annual music festival (and our wedding anniversary!!) featuring one of my all-time favorite bands: The Mother Hips. Over the last decade-plus, Hipnic has been my “Christmas;” my big event of the year. Not only is it a great way to connect with… Read more »
By Ilona A. Munzer, President & CEO, Alder Airfield Services As I travel around to different aviation conferences across the country, the conversation around AI continues to evolve. I overhear many folks finding themselves caught between two extremes: those who want to automate everything and those who understand that some decisions simply can’t be left… Read more »