James G. Howes
Encyclopedia
James Guerdon Howes is an American businessman in the aviation and communications fields and former United States Air Force
traffic management officer. He holds a commercial pilot's license
with instrument
and multi-engine ratings, and a Master of Business Administration
degree. Howes has been a consultant to the Bermuda government since 2002. He is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives and the Southeastern (U.S.) Airport Managers' Association (president 1993–94). He was president of the Florida Airports Council (1989–1990) and is currently a director of the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society
. Howes continues to work as a consultant to the transportation industry.
and related by marriage to Walter Balderson
. His early childhood interest in the transportation industry was sparked by watching the local Baltimore television program of the 1950s about the maritime shipping industry, The Port That Built A City, hosted by Helen Delich Bentley
, and Arthur Godfrey
's televised anecdotes about flying. After attending Towson High School
, he graduated in 1967 from the University of Maryland
with a Bachelor of Science
degree in transportation. In 1969, he earned a Master of Business Administration
degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business
at the University of Maryland, College Park
. While an undergraduate, Howes was in Air Force ROTC and went on active duty from 1969 to 1972 as a traffic management officer. He was discharged as a captain. He served as an intern for United States Senator Joseph Tydings
from 1965 to 1968.
as a Regional Manager of Marketing from 1972 to 1975 before he began working in airport management. His career has enabled him to meet several political leaders, including many recent American presidents and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
. He also was a campaigner for the Republican National Committee
in Washington, D.C.
, from 1974 to 1984.
radio station. Production moved to WBVM
and in 1986 the choral and organ programs were combined into the program Sacred Classics
. Sacred Classics is now broadcast around the world. This led to the formation of Atlas Communications in 1991, which also produces CDs and concerts in addition to broadcasting programs, including Sacred Classics
. Howes has been president of Atlas Communications since 2001.
in St. Petersburg, Florida
(1980–2001), as well as working at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. When Howes was appointed director of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in 1980, the airport had less than 100,000 airline passengers annually. By 1993, passenger volume had increased to 721,977; beginning in 1995, it surpassed one million passengers yearly. In response to the growth, major improvements to the airport's terminal were completed in the 1990s. Howes also negotiated a 15-year lease with United Parcel Service
in 1994 for its Florida air freight hub and expanded the airport's 2000 acres (8.1 km²) industrial park.
Howes' business-related awards include: the FAA Southern Region's Airport of Year Safety Award for 1998 and the Bermuda Hotel Association's "Man of the Year" for 2004. The Bermuda International Airport was recognized as the best in the North American region for overall passenger satisfaction for both 2002 and 2003, as well as ninth in the world in 2002, for which the Bermuda Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown
threw a party for every airport employee and their families.
's L.F. Wade International Airport as General Manager in May 2002, when the airport was struggling and handling only 98 flights a week. The air carriers at the airport were expensive and had little competition and most tourists were going to Caribbean destinations. He and the Bermuda Transportion Ministry developed a strategic plan to attract low-cost carriers and increase traffic. Arrivals soon increased over 15 percent—over 124 a week in the summer. While Howes was manager, passenger traffic steadily increased. In August 2006 it increased 20% over the previous August. Howes also improved access for handicapped passengers and obtained Doppler weather radar for the airport.
There was an air traffic controller
strike at the airport in September 2002 that had been brewing for two years. In December 2002 labor issues began with the airport firefighters, which erupted into a strike in February 2003. When Hurricane Fabian
struck in 2003 and did over $15 million in damage to the airport, Howes had it operating again in three days.
Before departing the airport on May 1, 2007, to take over his radio syndication company in Florida, In 2005–2007 Howes assisted in developing, with HNTB
, a 20-year master plan for the Bermuda International Airport, including future runway and airline terminal facilities.
for many years, starting when he was a Cub Scout in the Boy Scouts of America
(BSA). While a Cub Scout, his unit visited Friendship Airport (now BWI). The group toured a Martin 4-0-4
airliner, including its cockpit; which began his lifelong interest in aviation. He served as vice president of the BSA's West Central Florida Council, Largo, Florida
, from 1987 to 1991 and is a recipient of Scouting's Silver Beaver Award
in 1990. He is also a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow
, serving as a Lodge Advisor from 1974 to 1987. He was also a National Council Representative from 1992 to 1996. While residing in Bermuda, Howes was a member of the executive committee of the Bermuda Scout Association.
This connection to Scouting led to him being lampooned by The Royal Gazette
in a cartoon on February 14, 2003, during an airport firefighter's strike, by showing him atop the control tower in a Boy Scout uniform controlling the airplanes with signal flags
.
A Methodist
, he joined the interdenominational Riverside Church
in 1976 and continues to be a member of the New York City church. His hobbies include flying, scuba diving
, classical music
, playing the pipe organ
, photography
, and white water rafting.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
traffic management officer. He holds a commercial pilot's license
Commercial Pilot Licence
A Commercial Pilot License or, in the United States, a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the Pilot In Command of a single pilot aircraft, or as co-pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft and be paid for his/her work.The basic requirements to obtain the...
with instrument
Instrument rating
Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under IFR . It requires additional training and instruction beyond what is required for a Private Pilot certificate or Commercial Pilot certificate, including rules and procedures specific to instrument flying,...
and multi-engine ratings, and a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree. Howes has been a consultant to the Bermuda government since 2002. He is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives and the Southeastern (U.S.) Airport Managers' Association (president 1993–94). He was president of the Florida Airports Council (1989–1990) and is currently a director of the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society
Tony Jannus Award
The Tony Jannus Award recognizes outstanding individual achievement in scheduled commercial aviation by airline executives, inventors and manufacturers, and government leaders. The award is conferred annually by the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society and was first bestowed in 1964 in Tampa,...
. Howes continues to work as a consultant to the transportation industry.
Early years
James G. Howes was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to James Harold and Edna Esther (Lowman) Howes. He is the grandson of Rev G. E. LowmanG. E. Lowman
Guerdon Elmer Lowman, more familiarly G. E. Lowman was an American Christian clergyman and a pioneering international radio evangelist beginning in 1930, following a successful business career....
and related by marriage to Walter Balderson
Walter Balderson
Walter Balderson is an American television editor and video engineer, who participated in the advent of color television beginning in the early 1950s and later was one of the first editors to use videotape for instant replay on network television sports events...
. His early childhood interest in the transportation industry was sparked by watching the local Baltimore television program of the 1950s about the maritime shipping industry, The Port That Built A City, hosted by Helen Delich Bentley
Helen Delich Bentley
Helen Delich Bentley is an American politician and a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the State of Maryland .-Life and career:...
, and Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...
's televised anecdotes about flying. After attending Towson High School
Towson High School
Towson High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, founded in 1873. The school's current stone structure was built in 1949. Located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson and serving the surrounding communities of Towson, Lutherville, and Ruxton, it is part of the Baltimore...
, he graduated in 1967 from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in transportation. In 1969, he earned a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business
Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is a school of business management within the University of Maryland, College Park. The school was named after alumnus Robert H. Smith...
at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. While an undergraduate, Howes was in Air Force ROTC and went on active duty from 1969 to 1972 as a traffic management officer. He was discharged as a captain. He served as an intern for United States Senator Joseph Tydings
Joseph Tydings
Joseph Davies Tydings is a former Democratic member of the United States Senate, representing the state of Maryland from 1965 to 1971....
from 1965 to 1968.
Career
After leaving the Air Force, Howes first worked for The Hertz CorporationThe Hertz Corporation
Hertz Global Holdings Inc is an American car rental company with international locations in 145 countries worldwide.-Early years:The company was founded by Walter L. Jacobs in 1918, who started a car rental operation in Chicago with a dozen Model T Ford cars. In 1923, Jacobs sold it to John D...
as a Regional Manager of Marketing from 1972 to 1975 before he began working in airport management. His career has enabled him to meet several political leaders, including many recent American presidents and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. He also was a campaigner for the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, from 1974 to 1984.
Communications
Howes' involvement in the communications business primarily focuses on radio and music. He originally began producing both King of Instruments (1983–1985) and Choral Masterpieces (1985–1995), for the old WXCRWXCR
WXCR is a radio station licensed to serve New Martinsville, West Virginia. The station is owned by Seven Ranges Radio Company, Inc. It airs a Classic rock music format...
radio station. Production moved to WBVM
WBVM
WBVM, branded as Spirit FM 90.5, is a Christian-based radio station in Tampa, Florida, broadcasting on 90.5 FM with an ERP of 77 kW. It signed on in May 1986 and began broadcasting a second channel in digital HD radio in 2007. In June 2008, the station began additionally streaming its HD...
and in 1986 the choral and organ programs were combined into the program Sacred Classics
Sacred Classics
Sacred Classics is a weekly two–hour radio show originating from WBVM-FM in Tampa, Florida, featuring choral and organ music from international venues. Founded in October 1983, it is broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as streamed over the Internet at various times to accommodate...
. Sacred Classics is now broadcast around the world. This led to the formation of Atlas Communications in 1991, which also produces CDs and concerts in addition to broadcasting programs, including Sacred Classics
Sacred Classics
Sacred Classics is a weekly two–hour radio show originating from WBVM-FM in Tampa, Florida, featuring choral and organ music from international venues. Founded in October 1983, it is broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as streamed over the Internet at various times to accommodate...
. Howes has been president of Atlas Communications since 2001.
Aviation
Howes got a background in airport management as the Commissioner of Aviation, Poughkeepsie, New York (1975–1980), and then as executive director of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International AirportSt. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in unincorporated Pinellas County, Florida, north of St. Petersburg, serving St...
in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
(1980–2001), as well as working at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. When Howes was appointed director of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in 1980, the airport had less than 100,000 airline passengers annually. By 1993, passenger volume had increased to 721,977; beginning in 1995, it surpassed one million passengers yearly. In response to the growth, major improvements to the airport's terminal were completed in the 1990s. Howes also negotiated a 15-year lease with United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
in 1994 for its Florida air freight hub and expanded the airport's 2000 acres (8.1 km²) industrial park.
Howes' business-related awards include: the FAA Southern Region's Airport of Year Safety Award for 1998 and the Bermuda Hotel Association's "Man of the Year" for 2004. The Bermuda International Airport was recognized as the best in the North American region for overall passenger satisfaction for both 2002 and 2003, as well as ninth in the world in 2002, for which the Bermuda Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown
Ewart Brown
Ewart Frederick Brown, Jr. was Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party from 2006 and 2010. He served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Warwick South Central for 17 years until his retirement from politics in October 2010.Brown was elected leader of the ruling...
threw a party for every airport employee and their families.
Bermuda
Howes took over BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
's L.F. Wade International Airport as General Manager in May 2002, when the airport was struggling and handling only 98 flights a week. The air carriers at the airport were expensive and had little competition and most tourists were going to Caribbean destinations. He and the Bermuda Transportion Ministry developed a strategic plan to attract low-cost carriers and increase traffic. Arrivals soon increased over 15 percent—over 124 a week in the summer. While Howes was manager, passenger traffic steadily increased. In August 2006 it increased 20% over the previous August. Howes also improved access for handicapped passengers and obtained Doppler weather radar for the airport.
There was an air traffic controller
Air traffic controller
Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
strike at the airport in September 2002 that had been brewing for two years. In December 2002 labor issues began with the airport firefighters, which erupted into a strike in February 2003. When Hurricane Fabian
Hurricane Fabian
Hurricane Fabian was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that hit Bermuda in early September during the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Fabian, the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, developed from a tropical wave in the tropical Atlantic Ocean on August 25...
struck in 2003 and did over $15 million in damage to the airport, Howes had it operating again in three days.
Before departing the airport on May 1, 2007, to take over his radio syndication company in Florida, In 2005–2007 Howes assisted in developing, with HNTB
HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an architecture and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri that has designed many bridges, roadways, airports and professional sports stadiums across the United States and around the world.The firm started in 1914 as Harrington, Howard & Ash...
, a 20-year master plan for the Bermuda International Airport, including future runway and airline terminal facilities.
Other interests
Howes has been active in ScoutingScouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
for many years, starting when he was a Cub Scout in the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
(BSA). While a Cub Scout, his unit visited Friendship Airport (now BWI). The group toured a Martin 4-0-4
Martin 4-0-4
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 95, 217. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
airliner, including its cockpit; which began his lifelong interest in aviation. He served as vice president of the BSA's West Central Florida Council, Largo, Florida
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
, from 1987 to 1991 and is a recipient of Scouting's Silver Beaver Award
Silver Beaver Award
The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council...
in 1990. He is also a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
, serving as a Lodge Advisor from 1974 to 1987. He was also a National Council Representative from 1992 to 1996. While residing in Bermuda, Howes was a member of the executive committee of the Bermuda Scout Association.
This connection to Scouting led to him being lampooned by The Royal Gazette
The Royal Gazette
The Royal Gazette, founded in 1828, is the only daily newspaper in the island nation of Bermuda. It is published Mondays through Saturdays; there is no Sunday edition....
in a cartoon on February 14, 2003, during an airport firefighter's strike, by showing him atop the control tower in a Boy Scout uniform controlling the airplanes with signal flags
Flag semaphore
Semaphore Flags is the system for conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand-held flags, rods, disks, paddles, or occasionally bare or gloved hands. Information is encoded by the position of the flags; it is read when the flag is in a fixed position...
.
A Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, he joined the interdenominational Riverside Church
Riverside Church
The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational church in New York City, famous for its elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture—which includes the world's largest tuned carillon bell...
in 1976 and continues to be a member of the New York City church. His hobbies include flying, scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, playing the pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, and white water rafting.