Bob Watkins has reached new heights with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. On July 27, Mayor Jerry Sanders appointed the local businessman chair of the Airport Authority’s board of directors. “I’ve always brought to the table the thought process of how does this impact business and how can business impact the future of San Diego,” Watkins said. “So economic development is a major suit of mine.” Watkins replaces Alan Bersin, who left the position in April to become border czar for the Obama administration. Watkins has been acting chair since May and has been a member of the board since 2006. Watkins has been doing business in San Diego since 1980. He is founder, president and chairman of R.J. Watkins & Company and owns a venture-capital firm that invests in local businesses. Watkins currently serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. “I think that a rising tide helps all boats,” Watkins said. “If we can keep our economic business engine moving forward, then San Diego’s continued growth will have a balanced economy.” Watkins said he approaches Lindbergh Field issues from a business perspective. He said the airport is catalyst for San Diego, providing nearly $10 billion a year in economic development. “I see it as another part of this linkage of business, economic development and activity in the region,” Watkins said. “It facilitates business activity on many fronts.” Watkins hopes to make Lindbergh more efficient and accessible to passengers and airlines. In the short term, he said, this means completing “The Green Build”—an $865 million terminal development project scheduled to be completed in 2013. “The Green Build” will add 10 gates to the airport and will free up more land for airplane parking. “Moving those planes over to the other side of the airport during traffic times becomes a little tricky,” Watkins said. “By building out the parking area on the airport for airplanes to be on the same side of the terminals, it will help ease the congestion and add to the efficiency of the airport.” Watkins’ long-term plans involve “Destination Lindbergh,” the authority’s plan to optimize the airport, improve access to the airport and improve the regional transportation network. Watkins said the completion of “Destination Lindbergh” is 15 to 20 years away. He added that he wants the project to be the best return on the investment. Another wish Watkins said he has is to increase the amount of international traffic that comes through Lindbergh Field. Watkins said San Diego is a destination community, attractive to tourists and business passengers. “You need a functioning airport to encourage business to participate here,” Watkins said. “I look forward to being able to see if we can’t expand our long-distance carrying of passengers. International business is something that I would like to see us have a little bit more of.” As for the idea of a new airport, Watkins said he doesn’t expect that anytime soon. “That has been talked about since the time they started flying out of Lindbergh Field,” Watkins said. “Until planes begin to take off vertically, Lindbergh is always going to be the airport we have. There will always be this question about, ‘Is it better to do it somewhere else?’” Watkins said he hopes the airport will continue to be a good neighbor to surrounding areas. He said the airport has spent about $67 million on the Quieter Home program, which is intended to ease the noise made by planes flying in and out of Lindbergh Field by replacing windows and doors on affected homes.  “We’re doing the same now on the east side, going all the way out to about where Bancroft Street is,” Watkins said. “We’ll be employing that program there for folks who get that noise from approaching traffic. We’re very sensitive to the fact that the airport is [Downtown] and we have to be good neighbors.”