(Riverton, WY) – Central Wyoming Regional Airport division manager Paul Griffin is retiring after 28 years of service to the City of Riverton.
“I’ve been dreading this day,” city administrator Kyle Butterfield said before he formally recognized Griffin’s retirement during a Riverton City Council meeting Tuesday. “This is a hard one for me, (because) Paul has meant so much to me through the years.”
When Butterfield joined the city in 2014, he said he didn’t have any experience working with airports, and Griffin, who had already been on the job for almost two decades at that point, could have “been very challenging” and told Butterfield to just “let me do my thing.”
Instead, Butterfield said Griffin “brought me in, worked alongside me, and, even though I was his supervisor, treated me as a friend.”
Since then, Butterfield said, the airport “has seen a lot of growth and change,” and Griffin has been a “critical” part of the process.
“We had over 15,000 people flying out of our airport (last year),” Butterfield said. “That’s the fourth-highest year that we’ve had since 2002, (for) over 20 years – so Paul, without further ado, thank you so much for what you’ve done.”
After receiving a plaque recognizing his service to the city, Griffin expressed his own appreciation for his time on the job and “the friendships I’ve made.”
“It’s been a good journey,” he said. “Thank you.”