“I think one of the pressing issues is to make sure that we have a qualified workforce for years to come,” Washington told one senator in defense of the project.“You’re looking at an airport spending money for a revamped terminal and all that — $40 million is really peanuts,” said Mike Boyd, an Evergreen-based aviation consultant. “But I think the impact will be global or at least national, and that’s going to raise the profile of Denver International Airport. There’s no downside.
A rendering shows the “Hall of Equity” event space in the planned Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation on Level 4 of Denver International Airport’s hotel and transit center. Construction is expected to begin later this year. Airport officials refer to the Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation as the CEEA, pronounced “see-yah.” With construction expected to take about two years, the center’s opening is expected in late 2025 or early 2026.
“We focus on showing kids that there are a lot of different careers within the aviation industry,” she said, pointing also to jobs on the ground and inside airports that appeal to people with an interest in aviation who may not want to pilot or work on planes. He began the job by making clear he wanted to address equity gaps in the aviation sector. And when hein late 2021, the CEEA was a notable addition. To oversee its programs, the airport brought on Burke, who previously worked on workforce development programs at L.A. Metro in Los Angeles, where Washington was CEO for several years.