Winchester’s new airport manager may only be 24 years old, but she had the right kind of experience to garner the job amid a field of 30 applicants, according to Airport Authority Chairman Carey Wofford.

Katelyn Sanders, a Gordonsville native who resides in Lebanon, was recently hired to fill the big shoes of Zachary Colescott who, after 13 years at Winchester, moved on to become the director of the Cleveland Regional Airport in Cleveland, Tennessee.

The Airport Authority was very pleased with the job Colescott did at Winchester and vowed to go the distance to find the right person to replace him, Wofford said.

“Katelyn was the only one who checked all the boxes,” he said, referring to how she had the education, experience, willingness to learn and enthusiasm toward aviation that gave her the edge to emerge at the top of the field.

Wofford said Sanders has a college degree in aviation management and business administration from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, which has one of the largest aviation programs in the nation, and had been the Smithville Municipal Airport manager from 2021 to this year, giving her the experience and background with the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division to be the best candidate for the job at Winchester.

“That was a huge plus in our eyes,” Wofford said, referring to Sanders’ past relationship with TDOT. “She had experience within the system, and in our opinion, she was a godsend.”

At Sanders’ age, she is quite possibly the youngest airport manager in the nation, and a further note of interest is that she is in a career minority with only 10 percent of those involved in aviation being women. She said that only 4 percent of the pilots are women.

Sanders explained that she and her assistant manager, Carolyn Williams, typify the trend. She added that she would like to see that change over time, and she intends to promote the aviation field to other women who might find it as interesting and rewarding as she has.

Sanders said she is excited to be Winchester’s airport manager and looks forward to the challenges the job presents.

She said the biggest difference between Smithville and Winchester is the Winchester Municipal/Regional Airport has a 5,000-foot runway, compared to Smithville’s 4,300-foot airstrip.

Another difference is that Winchester can accommodate smaller business-jet aircraft like Gulfstream IVs, Learjets and Cessna Citations, which Sanders said was a step up in responsibilities that she wanted to take on because of her love for aviation.

“It’s a different operation here,” she said, comparing the two airports.

Sanders said the significance of the longer runway was exemplified on July 5 when four jets had landed. She added that Winchester’s operations also accommodate helicopters like the Life Force air ambulances that serve Franklin County and the immediate region.

She said the airport staff and those it serves have a strong, cohesive working relationship which makes working at Winchester an ideal situation.

“Everyone here helps you, and that allows you to help everybody else in learning what their likes and dislikes are,” Sanders said. “When their life is easy, my life is easy.”

Wofford said he’s grateful for all the cards Sanders brings to the table.

“We feel fortunate to have someone with her background, education and experience,” he said. “It’s not an easy task to go through 30 resumes, and you don’t have that many candidates who check all the boxes. Katelyn checked all the boxes.”

Although Colescott had a stellar track record at Winchester, Sanders said she told authority members in her interview that she probably couldn’t be a mirror image of him.

“I told them I can’t be another Zach, but I’ll be the best Katelyn I can be,” she said. “I hope to continue his legacy and add to it.”

Sanders said she has a goal to focus on the airport as a drawing card for business and development, bolstering the local economy.

“If we can get extra people in here, it’s something I’m very enthusiastic about,” she said.

Wofford said the airport has the backing to do that from Winchester’s municipal government.

“They realize the importance of the airport and have been very supportive of us,” he said. “That makes a difference.”

Wofford said the Franklin County government has also stepped up to the plate on behalf of the airport.

“They all understand that it benefits the county as a whole,” he said, referring to the airport’s significance.

Sanders said the immediate area offers many opportunities to attract growth and development with its existing businesses, the marina options and the Winchester Square.

“I’m very enthused about growing the airport and bringing in more business,” she said.

Sanders graduated from Gordonsville High School in 2016 and went on to Chattanooga to attend Chattanooga State Community College, majoring in healthcare with plans to be a pharmaceutical technician.

She graduated with an associate’s degree from Chattanooga State in 2018 and was a pharmaceutical technician from 2018 to 2021.

However, she learned that her career at the time was not her ultimate calling.

Sanders said she had a love for aviation, and her stepdad, Joey Jones, encouraged her to go into the field.

That sealed the bid to study aviation management at MTSU.

“Aviation fell into my lap, and since then, it’s been a passion of mine,” Sanders said.

She said she plans to eventually get a Cessna 172 and become an active pilot.

Sanders said that she also plans to pursue a master’s degree in aviation management through online courses at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is excited about the nearby University of Tennessee Space Institute and what it offers related to aviation.

“My goal is to do my best and help the airport succeed,” Sanders said.