Pride Month is a time to celebrate love, identity, and the beauty of living authentically, and we are not done celebrating yet!
Our Pride Takes Flight feature continues! Today, we are proud to introduce our second spotlight, whose authenticity and passion shine through in everything he does. Meet Colton, our Lead Operations Duty Manager and CDM Liaison, and hear his story in his own words.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your role at Pacific Coastal Airlines?
My title is Lead Operations Duty Manager and CDM Liaison, where I act in a support and leadership role for the ODM/OCC team here in Vancouver while also advancing Pasco’s interests in the wider Aviation eco-system as it relates to Air Traffic Control. As a representative of Pacific Coastal, I participate in discussions with other operators and stakeholders in the national airspace system, coming up with creative solutions to problems we face during our day-to-day operations.
How do you identify, and how has your identity shaped the person you are today?
I proudly identify as gay, and this has shaped me to a be a person who lives authentically and honestly. This translates into how I deal with people, treating them in-kind with honesty and respect, being transparent in my leadership role and as a Duty Manager to establish trust that I do everything in my power to not do a disservice to our passengers or our fellow colleagues.
What is one thing you wish more people understood about the 2SLGBTQ+ experience?
I wish people understood that folks who identify in whatever way just want to live their lives in their own way, free of persecution or needless commentary. Live and let live.
How has your experience at Pacific Coastal Airlines shaped your sense of belonging?
I love Pasco for the people, but also because when I think of the company as an entity, I truly feel that “Pasco” respects me as an employee. Yes, I am asked to do difficult things and work hard, but at the end of the day I am here because I feel that I make an impact in the lives of the people we serve and work with, and because I feel respected by the company in the way I conduct my job. Because of this, I feel an immense kinship to my fellow peers across all departments, and we all know how special that is.
What message would you like to leave with your Pasco family this Pride Month?
I think the message I would like to leave with my coworkers is one that I tell myself at the end of a truly difficult and arduous shift. That the difficult thing we did that day (or difficult things, because they usually come in multiples) is the product of successful collaboration between all of us, and that all of us individual people with our own stories and backgrounds work together in such an amazing way that we should all be proud. Live and work authentically and amazing things can happen.
