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Chief Pilot Jay Todhunter set out to fly for Kenmore Air in 2013. But the path to his stripes wasn’t direct.
Like many of Kenmore Air’s flight crew, Jay started on the dock, splashing planes and washing windows. The job let him get his foot in the door. It also gave him access to Kenmore Air’s flight instruction department, where he earned his seaplane rating.
Jay had gotten his pilot’s license while earning his Bachelor of Science in Flight Technology at Central Washington University.
3 Generations of Mr. Munro’s Descendants (and Counting)
AT THE NORTH END OF Lake Washington, tucked beside the mouth of the Sammamish River, sits a humble airport. It has sat there ever since Bob Munro founded Kenmore Air in 1946 with two high school friends.
What started out as a one hangar, single seaplane company has grown into a thriving multi-faceted business. Today — 75 years later — picnic tables serve as departure “gates”; employees park among company aircraft, and, Munro’s descendants have been raised — quite literally. The original family home still stands at the westernmost edge of the five-acre campus where Munro and his wife Ruth raised their three children, Leslie Banks, Gregg Munro and Margie Munro.
Flying wasn’t the original plan for Christina Rzeplinski. But after taking a private jet to tour colleges on the East Coast, the trajectory of her life was forever changed. Christina wanted to be a pilot.
“I was really lucky. A girlfriend from high school took me with her to tour colleges. We flew on a private jet to New York, Boston and Connecticut,” Christina said. “Most people get on a private jet and think, ‘I wish I could always fly on a private jet.’ I got on and said, ‘I want to fly this thing.’”
Raised in the airline industry, Caitlin Hunter’s no stranger to helping make a passenger’s travel day fly by smoothly. She joined her mom at SkyWest Airlines in 2005, doing anything and everything that was needed.
“You name it, I’ve done it. Working the ticket counter. Loading bags. Pushing the airplane out. Being a gate agent. I’ve done everything but fly the airplane,” Caitlin explained in a break between customer service calls.
Five years ago, she joined the Kenmore Air family as a Seasonal Customer Service Agent. “Kenmore is a great place to work. I absolutely love it here,” she said. A people person through and through, Caitlin’s upbeat attitude made her a perfect fit for working with customers and she was quickly hired on year-round at the Lake Union seaplane terminal.
Quality craftsmanship — that’s what motivates Mike Smith. As the lead machinist and welder at Kenmore Air, doing things the right way every time is essential.
“I like having to do stuff right. I like that part of my job,” said Mike. In his role at Kenmore Air Mike specializes in creating prototypes, fabricating custom parts, making tools, and producing small production runs of parts.
Mari Peterson was born to fly. It’s in her blood. Her great grandfather was a Navy pilot during World War II. And growing up, her dad flew the family’s small airplane.
“He would cruise around in it and commute to Seattle for work. I practically grew up sleeping in the backseat,” Mari told me as she flew one of Kenmore Air’s Cessna Caravan at 4,500 feet over the San Juan Islands.
Yet despite her family lineage, Mari didn’t grow up with dreams of flying professionally. She spent the majority of her formative years living on San Juan Island — riding horses, playing tennis, and cheering for the local high school. She did take a ground school class (a pilot training class) offered through school, but didn’t pursue her pilot’s license immediately.
A relatively new addition to the Kenmore Air family, Ben Cardin’s presence is felt throughout Kenmore’s Lake Union terminal. As the Station Manager, he leads by example with his upbeat spirit and commitment to incredible customer service.
Joining the Kenmore Air team in 2017 as a Customer Service Supervisor, Ben was quickly promoted to Station Manager. He also recently assumed the role of Marketing Coordinator.
Wearing both hats, today he oversees all elements of the station’s operation and is the go-to resource for marketing relations and community development. As Station Manager, Ben’s role includes scheduling, onboarding new staff, maintaining an upbeat work environment, and promoting positive customer experiences. Recently, he also oversaw the Lake Union Terminal renovations. (The Lake Union Terminal saw major upgrades this spring, as new windows and floors were installed.)
As the Marketing Coordinator, Ben is the go-to resource for marketing relationships and community development. This means coordinating promotions with local tourism companies and Kenmore Air’s social media team, providing documentation for local businesses, and developing relationships with other tourism companies.
“Kenmore’s an incredible place to work and a big part of that is the people. That’s why one of my top priorities is making this an upbeat and positive place to be,” Ben said.
From staff to passengers, Ben is committed to providing the best experience possible.
“Kenmore offers something really unique. Whether passengers are arriving or departing, they’re happy to be here. And that’s something we focus on. Because not only does it make our jobs better, but promoting that kind of environment makes our passengers even happier. And that’s something incredibly fulfilling.”
While Ben quickly became an integral part of the Kenmore Air family, he didn’t have a background in aviation. In fact, his professional life started in Hollywood, where he worked as an events coordinator for major production companies and producers. “That experience really taught me the importance of details, like noticing where someone likes to be seated or how they like to be treated,” said Ben.
It’s this same level of detail that he uses to foster strong relationships among staff members and passengers. “I’m always looking for little ways to recognize someone’s contribution and let them know they’re valued,” explained Ben.
Moving to Seattle in 2009, Ben met his husband, Ricky, and started a new career as the building manager of Seattle’s tallest building. “My time as a building manager taught me a lot about managing multiple schedules in a hectic environment. That’s a skill I definitely utilize here, especially during the summer months.”
Luckily for Kenmore Air, Ben was passionate about rising even higher. During the evenings, he’d often sit on the deck of his Capitol Hill apartment and watch the seaplanes take off and land. “I was drawn to them. It’s such a wonderful and unique part of Seattle,” Ben said.
So, he applied for a job at Kenmore Air. “I couldn’t be happier. This place doesn’t just talk about treating people like family. They do it. And that’s exactly the kind of place I want to be,” Ben shared.
When his schedule allows, Ben loves to fly with Kenmore. “I’ll just stare out the window and marvel at this magical place we call home,” he said. And having moved 21 times before arriving in Seattle, Ben’s lived in a lot of cities. But this is the first one that’s really become home.
Vancouver is one of my favorites. It has such an international cosmopolitan feel. The downtown core has amazing shopping, with great dinner spots and grand hotels. Plus, the city has a fun pulse.
At the end of the day, whether Steve Bjorling has flown to the northern tip of Vancouver Island or the quaint dock at Roche Harbor, he’s put a smile on someone’s face. That’s what keeps this former police officer passionate about flying year-after-year.
Kenmore Air’s upholstery shop sits just above the mailroom. Its nondescript entrance rests at the top of a narrow stairway. Most people give the nearly windowless space nary a glance, let alone have a clue as to the artistry that goes on inside.
You have a good chance of seeing Sarah at any one of Kenmore Air’s three Seattle terminals. As the Operations Manager, she oversees all aspects of each location. And every location benefits from her guidance and leadership.
You have a good chance of seeing Sarah at any one of Kenmore Air’s three Seattle terminals. As the Operations Manager, she oversees all aspects of each location. And every location benefits from her guidance and leadership.
When you ask Sarah what does your job entail she smiles and says that’s a great question. She has a hand in quite a few departments including Kenmore Dispatch (the department that schedules and directs planes), Line Crew (the team responsible for fueling, cleaning, and docking aircraft), and she is responsible for inputting flight schedules and fares.
Her main job in the busy summer months is adjusting capacity. Additionally, Sarah helps coordinate the aircrafts’ 100-hour and annual inspections to ensure safety. To say her role involves wearing many hats is putting it mildly.
Most passengers may never meet her, but Jan Fields is an integral part of the Kenmore Air family. From her level-headed counsel and guidance to her genuine concern for each family member, this 46-year veteran has been with the Pacific Northwest airline since before it was a full-fledged airline.
“When I first started, we didn’t sell individual seats like we do today. If you wanted to fly to Canada, you had to charter a plane. So, we chartered a lot of planes back then,” says Jan.
Emily Mamales is the woman at Kenmore Air who makes (nearly) any adventure possible. As Kenmore Air’s Charter Specialists and Group Sales Manager, she helps customers plan everything from surprise proposals to unique fly-away adventures.
“I get to help people plan unique adventures,” says Emily. “That’s one of the things I love most about my job.”
Kenmore Air’s regular service flies pre-determined routes and times. The flights Emily plans tend to be a little more extraordinary.
“With charter flights, we can customize the experience,” she explains. Emily works with businesses to create unique team bonding experiences; she helps excited partners plan surprise engagements; families fly to remote vacation homes; and boaters to remote coves in the BC Islands.
“As long as there’s protected space to land and takeoff, we really can do just about anything,” says Emily.
However, not all destinations have a dock that can handle a seaplane, Emily warns. (Docks must have a profile no taller than three feet to allow for wing clearance.) “If there’s no dock available, we may be able to land on the beach or do a boat transfer,” she says.
As a boat owner, Emily is very familiar with boat transfers. She and the love of her life, Steve, live aboard a 42-foot Grand Banks. Steve will often take their motor yacht to a remote location, such as the BC Islands or the San Juans. Emily will fly in to meet him, allowing her to maximize her vacation time.
“That’s one of the great things about seaplanes. The seaplane lets you travel back and forth between the city, so your boat can become your vacation home,” she says. But Emily cautions, the boat used for transfers must have the same low profile as a seaplane dock.
This year, Emily hopes to go to the Broughton Islands. “It’s supposed to be absolutely stunning,” she explains. Because their boat takes roughly a week each way, Emily will likely fly up and meet Steve. “The flight is also a really good way to bring some perishables, like fruits and vegetables or a favorite wine, which can be hard to get when you’re at a remote location,” says Emily.
Emily also gets to create unique packages. “Kenmore’s really given me the freedom to be creative and they’ve been excited about my ideas. I appreciate that a lot,” she says. Emily’s introduced an annual Mother’s Day flight to Kiana Lodge. She’s helped arrange Father’s Day volcano flight tours. And this year, Emily introduced a new seaplane picnic package.
“The picnic packages are fabulous. We’re working with great caterers and we go to remote beaches. It’s an experience you’ll never forget,” she says.
Emily developed her passion for travel in her former career. As a Banking Consultant specializing in mergers and acquisition projects, she was constantly on the road. Moving where work took her, she learned that the best way to experience a new place was to dive in feet first and explore what looks most interesting. It’s this same principal she uses when designing tours and trips.
Her background in translating ‘tech speak’ into everyday terms has helped her simplify the charter process for customers. “Sometimes it can be difficult to understand why a dock won’t work, how plane availability affects scheduling or what limitations there are for carrying capacity,” she says. “While we do have a lot of flexibility, we’re also not the traditional commercial airline most passengers are used to. So sometimes we just need to help customers familiarize themselves with what makes Kenmore so unique, which is one of the bonuses of flying with us. The entire trip is a special experience.”
