GROVE, Okla. — The Oklahoma Airport Operators Association recently recognized Grove airport manager Lisa Jewett as Airport Manager of the Year.
From a 3,500-foot grass strip established in 1960, the Grove Regional Airport covers 250 acres and is classified as a regional airport by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.
Jewett took the city’s municipal airport in 2009 when she assumed the position to new heights by having Grove’s lone airport recognized as a regional airport in northeast Oklahoma.
The airport boasts two terminals, a fixed base operator, 35 private hangars and 22 T-hangars, which hold individual bays for airplanes.
“I am so honored to win,” Jewett said. “It is a team effort with city leaders that make the airport a regional business hub.”
Jewett served two terms as the group’s president and was the 2023 Victor Bird Air Evangelist award winner for her tireless promotion of the Grove Regional Airport.
Under her direction, a $3 million airport project in 2016 built a 5,000-square-foot terminal building, a taxiway expansion and a 100,000-square-foot concrete apron.
“We are thrilled Lisa was honored,” said Debbie Bottoroff, Grove city manager. “Our airport is such an integral part of Grove’s economy,”
The other regional airports in northeast Oklahoma are in Miami and Claremore.
In the summer, between 350 to 500 people use the airport each month. With the popularity of Grand Lake, bass anglers fly in to meet their drivers in major fishing tournaments on Grand Lake.
Grove Regional Airport is also the closest airport to the Missouri state line.
