Victor Bird
Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission

Victor Bird became Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission in December 2002. The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission’s mission is to promote the aerospace and aviation industry and to develop and maintain a statewide air transportation system sufficient to meet the needs of commerce and communities across the state.

Bird’s emphasis is on promoting the aerospace industry, one of the state’s largest industries and top employers; critical planning and development for the state’s air transportation system; making as many of the state’s 49 regional business airports jet-capable as possible; and encouraging public-private partnerships to promote the aerospace industry.

Through his leadership, the Commission has partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration to improve the state’s airport planning process, becoming a model for other states in the region. For its efforts, the FAA in 2005 presented the Commission with an award recognizing the agency for its “outstanding contribution to the enhancement of aviation in Oklahoma.” Bird was also a driving force behind the formation of Governor Brad Henry’s Aerospace Task Force in 2004, which resulted in the establishment of the state’s first trade association dedicated solely to promoting the state’s growing aerospace industry, the Oklahoma Aerospace Alliance, and other recommendations to foster the growth of the industry.

An attorney and veteran of state government, Bird was an attorney for five years with the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents and the Attorney General’s office for 12 years. While at the Attorney General’s office, he served as Chief Deputy Attorney General of the Civil Division and was the catalyst for the enactment of the Oklahoma Antitrust Reform Act in 1998, the first significant revision to Oklahoma’s antitrust law since statehood.

Bird currently serves on the executive committee of the Aerospace Alliance and was recently elected to serve as treasurer on the 2007-08 executive committee for the National Association of State Aviation Officials. He is also an active member of the Governor's Council on Workforce and Economic Development in Oklahoma.

Bird earned his juris doctorate and bachelor’s degree from The University of Tulsa.

He and his wife, Kay, have been married for six years and have two children.

Airports and Industry presentation (AIRVANGELISM) by Director, Victor Bird