Van Nuys Airport Has New Leader

A chief management analyst at Los Angeles International Airport was named Tuesday as acting manager at Van Nuys Airport, replacing Jens Rivera, who is being promoted to airport manager at Ontario International.

Selena Birk, 39, of Camarillo will assume her new post in Van Nuys on Feb. 22. She is the first woman to be appointed manager of a Los Angeles-owned-and-operated airport. She was named to the position by Lydia Kennard, acting director of Los Angeles World Airports and the first woman to hold that position.

Van Nuys Airport, which has 84 employees, is the busiest general aviation airport in the world. A number of efforts are underway to address community concerns about aircraft operations and noise, as well as long-term planning.

Birk, a 10-year employee with World Airports, currently heads the Airfield Permits Bureau at LAX. The 54-member bureau coordinates activities of nearly 700 aviation business and government agencies and manages security issues.

Rivera, who assumed the Van Nuys post last March, will return to Ontario, where he previously served as acting manager and assistant manager. The Ontario airport, one of four owned by the city, has a staff of about 300.