Cortez director Jeremy Patton to lead Four Corners Regional Airport

Four Corners Regional Airport will get new leadership after Farmington airport manager Mike Lewis announced he will retire next month and the city confirmed Cortez Municipal Airport Director Jeremy Patton will take the management role in Farmington. The move shifts experienced hands at two municipal airports just as both facilities undertake major infrastructure work and service expansion that matter to travelers and taxpayers across San Juan County and the Four Corners region.

The city of Cortez issued a news release Jan. 12 announcing a search for a new airport director and later confirmed Patton will leave his Cortez post in March to assume management at Four Corners Regional Airport in Farmington. Lewis, who has led Four Corners since 2014, will step down after helping steer the airport through projects that restored commercial jet service in May 2025.

Lewis credited Patton's candidacy after a field of 28 applicants and five interviews, saying Patton “showed far and above all the other candidates.” Lewis also described him simply: “He’s a really good guy. He’s a pilot. He owns an airplane.” Patton, a New Mexico native who began managing Cortez Municipal Airport in January 2021, brings a background in aviation, trades and first responder work and is familiar with FAA and TSA certifications; Lewis noted Patton also flies gliders.

The transition comes as Cortez prepares to begin an $8.6 million rehabilitation project that includes runway resurfacing, upgraded lighting systems and other infrastructure improvements designed to support long-term operations. The new Cortez director will inherit oversight of that multi-million dollar contract and the regulatory and logistical responsibilities that attend major airfield work.

Lewis's tenure in Farmington offers a playbook for what the region might expect. Under his leadership the city secured a $1 million federal air service development grant and helped obtain $25 million in federal Airport Improvement Program funds, Rob Mayes, Farmington city manager, said. Those investments funded grading, a substantial fill project to create an overrun area countable in takeoff distance, taxiway realignment to meet FAA 90-degree runway intersection standards and an upgraded visual approach system. Those changes helped Farmington negotiate SkyWest Airlines service to and from Denver International Airport and restart regional jet flights.

The commercial service has shown early demand: Lewis reported, “Flights are pretty full. They’re doing well, and they haven’t canceled a flight yet.” Lewis was named New Mexico Airport Manager of the Year in 2025 after the upgrades and service return.

Local implications are practical: leadership continuity matters when airports pursue federal certifications, negotiate airline contracts and oversee construction that affects safety and future service. Cortez will need to move quickly to fill the director role while Farmington prepares for new management in March.

The takeaway? Expect steady focus on maintaining recent gains in regional air service and keeping runway projects on schedule—watch for Cortez's hiring process and Farmington's transition details, and plan travel with a bit of patience as leadership changes settle in.