Pat Althouse reflects on 20 years with ACRA at the Aspen Airport

When it comes to the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Pat Althouse has seen it through many phases. 

This year, 2026, marks Althouse’s 20th year with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association as a lead destination specialist at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. 

“For nearly 20 years, Pat has been one of the first faces people meet when they arrive in Aspen — she makes every one of them feel like they belong here,” said Eliza Voss, ACRA senior vice president of Destination Marketing. “Her kindness and genuine care have shaped countless first impressions of our town.” 

Althouse first got involved with ACRA through a friend that knew she was in search of some part-time work — her friend suggested she apply to work for ACRA at the airport.

She recalled sitting down with Dorothy Frommer, her first boss when she ultimately joined the resort team, and immediately realizing the job suited her.

“I must have said the correct things to her, as my first shift was mid-December 2007 right before the ski rush,” Althouse said. “It was trial by fire that winter — the job training took on a new meaning for me, but I loved it, and I never looked back.” 

She can attest to the changes she has seen at the airport. She mentioned that the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is now the third busiest airport in the state of Colorado, behind Denver International Airport and the Colorado Springs Airport.

“With our small airport, that is a big accomplishment,” she said.

However, that distinction comes with a big price, she added. She recalled that, in the early days working at the airport, there were only four flights per day during the summer. Today, the airport considers 20 flights per day a “light load,” according to her. In the winter, the airport services close to 40 commercial flights per day.

While Aspen as a destination has grown, Althouse shared that those on the front lines always try to maintain a friendly, small town atmosphere.

“We have always been the first impression to our guests when they land, and a smiling face and warm greeting is always a good start,” she said. “We all feel our guests deserve excellent treatment, and we take ‘Defy Ordinary’ to heart.”

The thing she is most proud of after nearly 20 years is her ability to directly influence the outcome of a vacation when things, inevitably, go wrong. Though airlines are responsible for certain hiccups, such as getting lost luggage to their final destination, it’s people like Althouse who receive the unhappy phone calls.

“The message may not be what they want to hear, but we are honest and at least they know someone is looking out for them,” she said. “I think really caring about what one does on the job shows through to those we are in contact with.” 

Most recently, she was recognized at the 2026 Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference in Breckenridge in September, where she received the Frontline Hospitality Tourism Worker Award. According to a press release, the award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to tourism and hospitality in Colorado.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Pat and her years of service to our guests, our team and our community — there is no one more deserving of this recognition,” Voss said.

What Althouse said she hopes for ACRA moving forward is that they will always want community stewards in town and at the airport.

“Real customer service is being taken over by computers,” she said. “Still we get a voice that is shocked to hear a person answer the phone.”

She’s experienced tense moments — plane crashes, bomb threats, angry passengers, medical emergencies — but, after all that, she said “keeping a cool head is a must.”