Mark Hendrickson is the new director of the Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation and Economic Development.In many ways, Mark Hendrickson's home is his Castle.

The former director of governmental affairs for Merced County first came to this area as young boy when his father was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in 1978.

He was lucky enough to not live the typical military brat life of traveling around from base to base. He grew up going to movies on the government grounds and became a best friend of Brian Wilson, whose father was the wing commander for a time at Castle.

Hendrickson ended up graduating from Atwater High in 1991 and then joined the Air Force.

And where did they sent him after basic training?

Back to Castle.

Now, at age 35, and after a successful career in local and state government relations, Hendrickson finds himself at the helm of the new Castle — a vast county operated industrial center and airport that looks more like a small city struggling to become a major player in an economy gone bad.

"My goal is to ultimately present the Board of Supervisors with a host of different options to make Castle a fully utilized, multimobile, logistics center," he said at his new office located just a stone throw away from the Castle flight line. "We have rail on this facility, we have the airport and ultimately, we look to the planned Atwater-Merced Expressway which is so vitally important. It will provide that third leg for us to get freight and cargo from Castle onto Highway 99."

As the new director of the Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development, Hendrickson has come full circle.

No longer is he visiting the old office of his best friend's dad.

It's his now.

And his own father couldn't be more happy.

"My first day here became a special moment for my dad and I," Hendrickson said. "The Air Force and Castle was a big part of my father's life and for him to come out and help me move a few things around ... well ... it was nice."

A special moment indeed, but the base of Hendrickson's past closed in 1995, and what stands — or what doesn't stand — today offers a set of challenges that are unique to the county, state and even the nation.

"You can't duplicate what we have here because of the enormity of what is Castle," he said. "It's just a lot of space. We have roughly 1,912 acres with a tremendous upside. Obviously we have the airport that over the past five or six years has seen an investment of some $17.5 million from federal, state and local sources. Those upgrades to become a fully operating commercial facility are thanks to the huge effort of former director John Fowler."

He said Fowler told him the job takes a city manager-like attitude.

"He said I would be running a city," Hendrickson said. "You got your own road system, you got your own water system, you got the fire department, the sheriff's department, your buildings, your are leasing property, you are selling property, you got your own airport. But Castle is just a component of an overall strategy to improve opportunities for Merced County residents."

Hendrickson said his department also oversees economic development activities and programs that impact residents throughout the county. Things like incentives for small business start-ups, strategies to re-establish an enterprise zone, adding a foreign trade zone and a loan program that helps dairies expand and adhere to an ever changing regulatory climate.

"Our department wants to see opportunities and wealth generated," he said.

But a lot has to be done.

The airport is home to about 14,000 flight operations per month, predominately from a flight school with about 200 students and nine different contracts with Asia-based airlines. There are also regular military exercises. With 11,800 feet of runway, the location also offers prime acreage for development. And the commercial air service terminal is finished and ready to go.

Still, there is no commercial airline service at Castle Airport. The only prospect, a Vision Airlines summer proposal to offer trips to Las Vegas, went bust with the economic downturn. There is also competition from the Merced Municipal Airport, that offers service to Southern California from Great Lakes Airlines.

Castle does have 55 tenants from the AT&T Call Center to Big Creek Lumber to the University of Merced.

Hendrickson also points to the new Animal Control Center due open in March. "It's a state-of-the-art facility that's really going to be unparalleled with its public access."

Nevertheless, he said, there needs to be a new wave of separate partial development.

"We are working on a lot of data, and making upgrades," he said. "There are still a lot of structures that need to be torn down and it cost a lot of money to do this.

Is the old Castle native up to the task?

"It's these challenges that will drive me every day," he said. "And when I think about it, I feel I am truly blessed. This is my home."