Walter (Walt) E. Gillfillan was a transportation planning consultant for over 40 years with a practice focused on airport issues. He was a national leader in facilitating community dialogue with airports and other relevant stakeholders, regarding community noise impacts from airport and aircraft operations at both general aviation and commercial service airports. In opening that dialogue, he realized that there was an “airport noise mitigation institutional void”: no one institution (airport proprietor, airlines, the FAA, or local governments) had the authority or responsibility to comprehensively address airport noise issues on a local, state, or federal level. This lack of an institutional resource left the public and local communities with nowhere to go to seek assistance and relief from airport and aircraft noise impacts.

To fill the institutional void, Walt created the airport community roundtable concept in the late 1970s/early 1980s. This simple approach was based on a foundation of inclusion - all stakeholders were invited and encouraged to participate in the dialogue to address the issues. The roundtable model provided individuals and communities with an institution (public forum) at which to express their complaints and concerns regarding aircraft noise issues and a formal body to identify and pursue feasible actions to address them.

The roundtable format also created an environment for civil collaboration and cooperation. The stakeholders embraced the opportunity to work together to pursue actionable solutions to mitigate aviation noise impacts. Walt was instrumental in the formation and operation of long running and effective airport community roundtables at SFO, LAX and Centennial Airport, a busy general aviation facility near Denver, Colorado.

Walt founded the symposium in 1985 through the UC Berkeley Continuing Educations Department. It later came under the Technology Transfer Program at the Institute of Transportation Studies and then under the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center in 2006 where it remains today. Walt used the term “symposium” to emphasize the interactive nature of the event, at which community members, aircraft operators, airport proprietors, aviation consultants, local government staff, and government regulators could openly discuss aircraft noise and emissions concerns and share best practices from across the United States and throughout the world. Walt continued to help advise and run the event until his retirement in 2011.

Walt was known for his inclusive style managing the symposium planning meetings as well as his enthusiasm eliciting audience questions and answers throughout the event. He is widely remembered for his lively evening soirées!