With offices in Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, Century West has been providing municipal engineering services to North Idaho clients for many years. A chance meeting this spring at a Utah Aeronautics conference introduced Vice President and Business Development Director, Matt Rogers, PE, to Celeste Low, PE, PMP, a Senior Aviation Project Manager with over 30 years of experience. After 25 years working in the Seattle area and a brief stint in North Dakota, Celeste had recently moved back to Southern Idaho where she grew up. She was intrigued by the opportunity to help Century West build an aviation client roster in Idaho while immediately putting her experience to use supporting existing projects in Washington and Oregon. Celeste made the official decision to join Century West in August and is currently working from her home in Boise as we look to hire additional aviation talent in the area.
During her time in Seattle, Celeste worked primarily at large air carrier/Part 139 airports including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Portland International Airport (PDX). Nearly all her work was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), giving her considerable experience navigating FAA processes for everything from grant administration to construction. In 2017, she jumped at a unique opportunity to move to North Dakota to serve as a program coordination team member responsible for building the new 1,600-acre Williston Bason International Airport with a design and construction cost of $270 million. Over two years, Celeste managed over 25 projects, resulting in the fastest commercial service airport relocation since World War II.
Celeste’s strengths lie in project and program management, scheduling, design, and grant funding coordination. “I’m happy if I’m working at airports,” Celeste says. “If I’m doing a road, I’d rather have it be at an airport.”
Century West is happy to indulge Celeste in her love of airport work. Since joining the team, she has been working with Senior Project Manager and Aviation Business Development Manager Kurt Addicott, PE on several projects at Southwest Washington Regional Airport in Kelso, Washington. She is currently managing the design for an apron and taxilane reconstruction project, which will be constructed next year, and is gearing up for the start of runway reconstruction design also in 2024. She is also working alongside Project Manager Tom Headley, PE at Davenport Municipal Airport where Century West is assisting with the replacement of the airport’s precision approach path indicators and automated weather observation system. As Celeste settles into her role at Century West, we are excited to find her opportunities to return to working at air carrier airports and expect her to play a key role in the design phase of the PDX Seismically Resilient South Runway project.
Outside of work, Celeste has two dogs of her own as well as the occasional foster through Freedom Bound Hounds, a non-profit that saves dogs from the streets and high-kill shelters. She also recently set up a quilting room and enjoys making aviation-themed quilts. Being back in South Idaho allows Celeste more opportunity to enjoy the cabin her grandparents built 70 years ago in Sun Valley with a breathtaking view of Boulder Mountain.
The addition of Celeste to the Century West team provides us with a new opportunity to expand our aviation services in Southern Idaho and build relationships with FAA staff in the Helena Airports District Office. We hope to attract additional staff and teaming partners who are as excited as we are to bring our client-first approach and 40+ years of aviation expertise to the region.
