New Manager for Merrill Field Airport

The new Airport Manager at Merrill Field in Anchorage is Rich Sewell. Mayor Dave Bronson selected Sewell to run the city-owned airport, effective September 12.

“Rich will be an incredible asset for the municipality,” Bronson says. “With his decades of aviation experience and knowledge, I’m confident in his ability to keep Merrill Field the top-notch airport it is.”

Sewell comes to the city after eighteen years in state government, most recently as an aviation policy planner for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Sewell previously worked for the municipality as a regional economist and research section supervisor in the Economic Development and Planning Department during the administration of George M. Sullivan in the ‘70s.

“I am truly grateful and excited for the opportunity Mayor Bronson has given me to lead the operations and people who make Merrill Field possible,” Sewell says. “Aviation is integral to Anchorage’s economy, and with Merrill Field at the heart of that I’m excited for what the future holds.”

Sewell received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kalamazoo College in 1979 and an MBA from UAA in 1997. He is an avid community volunteer, having spent time on the boards of the UAA Alumni Association, Alaska Center for Public Policy, ASEA/ASFMCE Local 52 Health Benefits Trust, and Food Bank of Alaska.