Columbia airport’s new CEO shares his vision

By Mike Switzer

Published March 27, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Chris White, President & CEO of Columbia Metropolitan Airport

In case you missed it earlier this year, the Columbia Metropolitan Airport named a new leader. He’s had a couple of months on the job now so we thought we’d check in to get his thoughts. Mike Switzer interviews Chris White, the new President & CEO at the airport, as of January 5th.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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