04/10/2026
Great things are happening in Salina! Yesterday, I attended the ribbon cutting of the new SkyWest Airlines Overnight Maintenance Base, which will help keep SkyWest’s fleet running smoothly and provide news jobs in the Salina region. Thank you to Sky West CEO Chip Childs, Salina Airport Authority Executive Director Pieter Miller, Salina Airport Authority Board Chairman Don Boos and Davcon CEO Dave Wakefield for attending the event.
In the afternoon, I participated in the groundbreaking of the Salina Family Healthcare’s new community center, which will expand the high-quality services offered by the center. I appreciate Salina Family’s commitment to providing comprehensive, whole-person care. Thank you to Salina Family Healthcare CEO Dr. Robert Kraft and his team for hosting me.
I also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new General Atomics Systems Inc. facility in Salina. Kansas is at the forefront of innovative aerospace manufacturing, and the addition of General Atomics to our state will strengthen our leadership in the industry while providing more job opportunities. Thank you to General Atomics President David Alexander, General Atomics Salina Site Manager Craig Bronson and Pure Imagination CEO of Fun Joshua Wexler for joining us.
A special thank you to the local and state leaders who came out to the events and helped create these exciting new opportunities in the Salina community including Salina Mayor Mike Hoppock, Salina Chamber CEO Renee Duxler, Salina City Manager Jacob Wood, Saline County Economic Development Director Mitch Robinson, Saline County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes, Congressman Tracey Mann and Kansas State Senator Scott Hill.