Northwest Aerospace News October | November Issue No. 11 | Page 64

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THE
STAGE
IS
SET
for Spokane to enter a new dynamic
By Dean Cameron
T
here are a lot of people that aspire
to find a job they love. Some, like Larry
Krauter, become one of the few that actu-
ally achieve that goal. Krauter is the chief
executive officer of Spokane Airports, the
operator of Spokane International Airport
and Felts Field Airport. He has been in the
role since 2011, but his love of aviation goes
back much further.
Larry Krauter grew up in Northeast Ohio.
He was exposed to the aviation world at a
young age by being around airports and on
airplanes with his dad, a frequent business
traveler. He attended Ohio State University
and earned a degree in aviation manage-
ment. After starting out his career working
on bridge and highway projects with the
Ohio Department of Transportation, Krauter
entered the airport industry when he was
hired as an airport planner at the City of
Columbus (OH) Division of Airports.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
Krauter’s next professional opportunity took him to the Lehigh-Northampton
Airport Authority (Pennsylvania), where he held a number of progressive execu-
tive management positions over two decades in a three-airport system — includ-
ing a small hub commercial service airport and two general aviation airports.