FAA News Federal Aviation Administration, 2300 E. Devon Avenue, Des Plaines, IL  60018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:  Elizabeth Isham Cory Phone:  (847) 294-7849 FAA Names Grand Forks Air Traffic Control Tower "Facility of the Year" CHICAGO, IL (October 3, 2007)  The FAA has named its Grand Forks Air Traffic Control Tower "Facility of the Year" for facilities of its size (Level 7 to 9).     The Grand Forks tower, which in July won the FAA's top regional award, competed with regional winners in Baltimore, Maryland, and Mesa, Arizona, before recently winning the national award.  Bruce Johnson, Vice President, Terminal Operations, Air Traffic Services, FAA, presented the award to facility air traffic manager Dave Cink.   "I'm really proud of the teamwork shown in this facility," Cink said.  "We have good people here doing good things: inside the facility, and in the community."   The Grand Forks facility was recognized for its ongoing support of the University of North Dakota’s aviation program, including a program to mitigate potential language and phrasing barriers with foreign aviation students.  Tower staff sponsored an active mentoring program for youth and college students, and employees enthusiastically supported a variety of pilot education and community volunteer programs.     "Safety, service and value to the customer are our top goals, "Cink continued. "We do an outstanding job.  But it's the extra mile that I see everyday.  Our people are giving their own time to help our customers and our community."   Facilities were selected on the basis of customer service, employee focus, and innovation.  The Grand Forks tower, which has 23 employees, handled 229,470 take-offs and landings during calendar year 2006.  A large amount of traffic served comes from the University of North Dakota School of Aeronautics.   "We enjoy working with students, and we value the relationships we have with our entire aviation community," Cink says.  "We strongly believe education leads to greater safety."   Grand Forks was chosen for the national honor from a pool of 35 FAA air traffic control towers nationwide, categorized as Level 7-9 for the number and complexity of operations, types of operations and equipment/runway configurations.