John Chalker, founder of the Alliance in Support of Airport Progress in the 21st Century

At an “Airports Of The 21st Century” luncheon in late November, those behind successful efforts in Washington, D.C. urged San Diego’s business community to lead the effort or watch it fail. Well before that luncheon, John Chalker had already taken that advice to heart as the founder of ASAP21, the Alliance in Support of Airport Progress in the 21st Century.

This will be a key year for the “how ‘bout that airport?” debate, and Chalker is heading up the kind of independent group needed to lobby the community on the need for a new airport. A ballot initiative is scheduled for 2006.

The former U.S. Navy fighter pilot says ASAP21 wants to develop a “world-class,” international airport in San Diego County by 2020 that will serve San Diego’s passenger and air cargo travel demands for the next 50-75 years.

The mission? Find a site of at least 3,000 acres with rail-transit integrated into the design. When he’s not busy tilting airport windmills, Chalker is managing director for San Diego’s LM Capital Group LLC, a money management firm with nearly $2 billion in assets. The company’s clients range from CALPERS to Shell Oil and Coca Cola Enterprises.

“Two great things that I hope to accomplish in 2005 are to again, as in 2004, try to double the size of the assets under management at LM Capital Group, and increase the effectiveness of ASAP21 in advocating for a new airport by expanding and energizing the membership.”