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Mark Your Calendars for the PDX People Customer Service Awards on Tuesday, April 26
To recognize airport employees who truly stand out as extraordinary, we'll hold the next PDX People Customer Service Awards on Tuesday, April 26, from noon to 1 p.m. We're excited to host a hybrid celebration with both virtual and in-person attendees. The winners in each category – along with members of our volunteer working committee – will be invited to attend the event in person while it's live-streamed on Facebook.
At this quarter's event, we'll take a look at air service development and passenger demographics, two closely intertwined topics. Tim Quayle, the Port of Portland's director of research, and Rick Aizawa, the Port's air service development manager, will lead a thoughtful panel discussion that explores recent survey data about who our passengers are and how they've changed during the pandemic. You’ll also learn what markets PDX currently serves, which ones the air service development team is looking at for the future, and when we expect some of our international markets to return. To watch, head to the PDX Facebook page on Tuesday, April 26, at noon.
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What's New with PDX Next: Rolling Scaffolding and Roof Work
Rolling Scaffolding: Last week, rolling scaffolding went up in the ticket lobby. This structure allows crews to work safely overhead and reduces the number of scissor lifts in the area. The scaffolding is called "rolling" because it will be moved from the north end to the south end as work progresses. It will remain in the ticket lobby through the summer.
Roof Work: Starting tomorrow night, expect to hear some noisy work overhead in the south ticketing area between the hours of 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. while crews cut into the roof from above. This is to access beams inside and strengthen them in preparation for the new roof and main terminal. The work will continue through next week and the noise impacts will be loud and frequent.
Looking for more PDX Next information? We're keeping you in the know on what's new on the PDX People website. Have questions or suggestions about construction? Email hello@pdxnext.com or call the construction hotline at 503.460.4339.
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Volunteer Appreciation: PDX Canine Therapy Program
Did you know that PDX is home to four volunteer programs? This month, we'll highlight each of these areas in honor of National Volunteer Week, celebrated April 17 - 23.
Today, we're going to the dogs! That's right, we're talking about our PDX dog therapy program. The DoveLewis Portland Area Canine Therapy Team has 80 teams – including those that serve at PDX – fetching over 8,000 volunteer hours last year. The program brings more than 20 highly trained canine therapy teams to a variety of locations throughout the airport. Along with their handlers, these dogs roam the terminal with grey DoveLewis vests and wagging tails. They are on the lookout for pets, cuddles, someone they can greet with a wet nose, and comfortable places for a little rest next to PDX travelers.
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Faces of PDX: Ryan Temple, of Sustainable Northwest Wood
If you've seen pictures of the Douglas fir lattice that covers the ceiling of the new main terminal, you can imagine that building it out of 600,000 board-feet of wood was a major effort. Just getting that wood to our construction partners was a massive task. That’s because we wanted to make sure that almost every single board came from sustainably managed forests in Oregon and Washington – something no one had ever done on this scale. Ryan Temple, president of Sustainable Northwest Wood, is one of the connectors who made this possible. The Southeast Portland company, which Temple founded in 2008, was the first lumber yard in Oregon to exclusively offer sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood from local mills for sale to construction firms and members of the public. We sat down with Ryan to ask what it took to source wood for the lattice.
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PDX Job Fair Coming Tuesday, April 19
Know someone who’s looking for a job? More than 40 PDX employers are hiring…so we’re holding a job fair! Interested applicants will have the chance to meet employers, ask questions and learn more about what it’s like to work at PDX. On Tuesday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., head to the Embassy Suites, 7900 NE 82nd Ave. Employers representing airlines, airline service providers, drivers, janitorial services, parking, rental cars, restaurants, retail, security and TSA will be present. You can also enter to win one of five $100 VISA gift cards and other door prizes when you fill out an application, though you must be present to win!
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April is Autism Acceptance Month
April 1 marked the start of Autism Acceptance month, a time to recognize the multitude of experiences within the autism community and to highlight the critical need for acceptance, inclusion and connections to support people with autism.
Last year, the Autism Society of America, along with leading disability organizations across the country, announced the formal shift from references of “Autism Awareness Month” to “Autism Acceptance Month.” The change in terminology aims to foster acceptance to ignite change through improved support and opportunities in education, employment, accessible housing, affordable health care and comprehensive long-term services.
At PDX, we continually work to improve accessibility. Recently, we introduced the sunflower lanyard program, intended to help travelers with hidden disabilities. We also worked with KultureCity to open a sensory room at PDX – a space geared toward visitors with cognitive or sensory processing challenges. While both efforts are not exclusively aimed toward people with autism, they serve that community along with many others. Take some time to read about the programs so you can continue to provide top-notch inclusive, respectful service.
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PDX in Pictures
You may recall reading about the Hollywood Theatre airport microcinema's current short film lineup. But did you know that one of the featured films has a cameo from a PDX VIP?
Bon Lee can be seen in “Why Wheat Matters to the Pacific Northwest" by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Bon works for the Wheat Marketing Center, one of only two laboratories that make and evaluate Japanese sponge cake in the Pacific Northwest.
As Bon shared, "I've worked at the Wheat Marketing Center since 1998, testing Pacific Northwest wheat quality to help market wheat not only to Pacific Rim countries, but also to many other parts of the world. About 85% of the wheat produced in Washington, Oregon and Idaho is exported around the world."
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