Customer Service Agents Douglas Wurster & Vance Conway

Joining the Kenmore Air family wasn’t the original plan. The husband-duo simply had their sights set on moving to Orcas Island — a life-long dream for Douglas Wurster who vacationed in the Salish Sea as a young boy.

“We would sail around the San Juans with one of my dad’s college mates from Yale and his family during summer break,” recalls Douglas. “The kids would sleep on Jones Island and the adults would stay on the boat. Coming from Wisconsin with the mosquitos and the humidity and the long winters, I always wondered why everyone didn’t live here. So I said, one day, I was going to.”

With his husband, Vance Conway, nearing retirement as an air traffic controller in Portland, Oregon, the couple bought a plot of land on Orcas. As a landscape architect, Douglas began designing the home just days after they had purchased the property in 2015. Soon after moving, he also began looking for a way to meet fellow islanders. “I saw Kenmore had an opening at the Eastsound Airport. The next thing I knew, I was in training,” says Douglas.

Vance moved to the island shortly after and also began looking for a job or a volunteer opportunity. Kenmore had another Customer Service Agent opening at the Orcas Island Airport. It was the perfect fit.

“I grew up loving aviation. As a youngster, I’d bike to PDX just to watch airplanes,” recalls Vance.

As Customer Service Agents, the two men handle check-in, arrivals, and departures. They answer phones, field questions, and help passengers with bookings.

“One of the things that’s amazing about Kenmore is that they really live out the motto, ‘Do the right thing.’ And being here mostly on our own, it means a lot that they believe in us to do that. There aren’t many companies like that,” says Vance.

They have also become Orcas Island experts. They can tell you where to find the best fries on the island (Lower Tavern), the best easy-access sunset (North Beach Public Access), and where to go for a hike (just let them know your difficulty level).

What do you love most about Orcas Island?

There’s a true sense of small-town America here, in all the best ways. When I first moved here, my car broke down by Doe Bay. There was no cell service and I was just stuck. Over the course of an hour, 10 cars drove past. Every single person, from old guys to young high school kids, stopped to ask if I needed help. Where else do you get that?

Douglas Wurster

Eastsound Customer Service Agent

I wanted to go somewhere where I could commune with nature. And you can really do that here. It (Orcas Island) is really unique because you have a bit of everything. The hills. The lakes. The waterfront. The other islands. Plus, you have a smaller crowd. It really has everything.

Vance Conway

Eastsound Customer Service Agent

More About Douglas Wurster

Occupation: Customer Service Agent
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Grew Up In: Wisconsin
Current Residence: Orcas Island
Years Working for Kenmore: 2
Education: Bachelor in Russian History & Economics, and Associates Bachelor in Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin

More About Vance Conway

Occupation: Customer Service Agent
Birthplace: Madras, India
Grew Up In: Vancouver, Wash.
Current Residence: Orcas Island
Years Working for Kenmore: 2
Education: Bachelor’s in International Studies & Russian from the University of Washington
Languages (of varying degrees): Russian, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Swedish

More Members of the Kenmore Air Family

A&P Mechanic Jason Wills

Flight Instructor & Pilot Ava Karr