2025
Paul Werts began his aviation career in South Carolina in 1979 as an airport safety inspector for the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission (SCAC). He played a key role in organizing the second South Carolina Airports Conference and managed its finances and marketing until 1994. Paul was involved in several major projects, including managing the first air service study for South Carolina in 1981, overseeing the reconstruction of Owens Field (now Jim Hamilton-LB Owens Airport) runway, and assisting in the creation of the first in-house airport system plan for the state. He led the first statewide airport mapping project in 1986 and promoted the development of an electronic airport data program, SC-CAIRS, which won national recognition in 2001.
Paul held various leadership roles within SCAC, including managing grants and construction projects. He oversaw the development of the first airport economic impact study, which valued the state’s airports at $1 billion, and later a $3 billion industry study in 2003. He played a critical role in facilitating major economic development projects, such as the $16M runway extension at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and the conversion of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base into a public-use airport.
In 2006, Paul was appointed Executive Director of SCAC, where he successfully moved SCAC from the Department of Commerce to an independent state agency with regulatory powers, despite budget cuts due to the global recession. Under his leadership, SCAC introduced an aerospace education program and a variety of innovative tools, including an airport land use tool recognized by the National Association of State Aviation Officials in 2013.
Paul also played a significant role in aviation legislation, including efforts to remove the state sales tax on aircraft parts and create an aerospace conference. After retiring in 2018, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto for his public service.