Steve Chrisman leads the overall strategic direction and operations for the Pendleton UAS Range, Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, and the City’s economic development initiatives.

Steve is a results-driven leader with experience spanning economic development, aviation, real estate, hospitality, and marketing. Since 2013, he has led transformative efforts that have reshaped Pendleton’s economic landscape, including attracting new industries, supporting business growth, and advancing large-scale development initiatives.

Steve spearheaded the City’s successful effort to establish the Pendleton UAS Range as an FAA-designated test range, revitalizing a historically underutilized WWII-era airport into a nationally recognized hub for unmanned systems testing. Today, the Range supports tens of thousands of operations and continues to attract leading defense, commercial, and government programs. His leadership is grounded in building strong public-private partnerships and creating long-term, sustainable growth through innovation, incentives, and strategic investment.