Sarah Smiley, hired this month to manage C&L Aerospace’s media relations, has a master’s degree in communications and has worked in the newspaper and publishing industry for 14 years. Her newspaper column is syndicated weekly across the country, and she has been a guest on news programs like CNN Live, MSNBC and Fox News, as well as local and national radio.

“C&L is growing,” said CEO Chris Kilgour. “Next month we will move to a $5-million expansion—a hangar that is triple the size of the one we have now—and we will be adding painting and upholstery refurbishments to our list of services. Sarah’s experience with communications, plus her understanding of aviation, was a natural fit to help us further our relations with the media as we grow.”

Smiley’s relationship with aviation began early. She has been a Navy dependent for more than 37 years, first as the daughter of Admiral Lindell Rutherford (USN, Ret.), a career Navy F-14 pilot and now Director of Warfare Systems and Operational Concepts for the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, CVN 21. Smiley’s husband. Cmdr. Dustin Smiley, also is a Navy pilot.

“Being immersed in both aviation and media relations is the best of both worlds for me,” said Smiley. “Walking through the hangar feels like home, and I am excited to be part of the C&L team at this exciting time, as they expand their business and continue to become a major player in the industry.”

Smiley will work part-time from C&L’s Bangor, Maine, facility.