July 16--BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. -- Melissa Thomas knew very little about the airline industry when she became marketing director for Tri-Cities Regional Airport nearly two decades ago.
But over the years she has learned the intricate details of the business. Her primary responsibility is working with air carriers and getting more air service into the region.
"Airport service development is where I spend my planning time and my working time," Thomas said.
The journey to airline specialist was a long and winding road for the Tri-Cities native. Thomas graduated from the University of Tennessee in corporate public relations and marketing.
She met her husband during her senior year of college in a scuba class.
"I promptly chose him to be my scuba partner, because he could carry my scuba equipment," Thomas said.
After college, she spent several years following her husband around the country. He served in the Air Force in Colorado Springs after graduation.
While in the Rocky Mountains, Thomas worked at a book association and air purification company. She enjoyed the work and learned the basic principles of marketing and communications.
Thomas took a job at Clemson University when her husband landed in South Carolina. She worked for Auxiliary Services and helped the university market a bookstore, laundry service, dairy products business and other services.
"It was very interesting," Thomas said. "I got to work with a diverse group, almost like little businesses within the university. I was marketing to students, faculty and staff."
Her husband then accepted a job at Eastman Chemical Co. in Kingsport, Tenn., and Thomas found work at the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce in the marketing department. She ran the chamber breakfasts, performed membership drives and wrote the newsletter. She worked with a variety of business people from the president of a bank to a small business owner.
"My experiences at every step of the way have transferred and allowed me to take the next challenge," Thomas said.
Her life took a change after a later move to Georgia. Her husband had taken a job there, and Thomas was interested in attending the University of Georgia to earn a master's degree in business administration. About the time she was accepted into the program, a former colleague at the Kingsport chamber told her about a job at the airport.
Thomas went through the interview process and accepted the job.
"I would have loved to go through the graduate program, but I made the right choice in coming back to Tennessee," she said.
The airport had not had a marketing director in several years, but the airline industry was in the middle of a transition. The airport board wanted someone to enhance the airport's image.
"I came at a time where it was very difficult in the airline industry, particularly for this airport," Thomas said. "At that time, Delta Airlines had just pulled their mainline service and replaced it with regional service. That was a new trend in the industry."
She said attracting new air service is very similar to economic development. She presents updates and news about the community like the recent expansion announcement at Eastman Chemical. The information is used as a way to entice the carriers.
"So much of our air service has to do with what's going on in our community -- the business community," Thomas said. "Are things going well? The demographics of our community have a significant impact on the type of air service we attract."
The airline industry has continued to face challenges, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. That has meant a sometimes rocky relationship with the airlines. The airport lost air service to Chicago last year when American Airlines declared bankruptcy.
Thomas said that is the main challenge of her job. Living in a small community has advantages and disadvantages, she said, but it can be tough to compete with larger communities when it comes to attracting air service.
"That is hard for some people to understand, especially people who have come from a larger community," she said.
Besides work, Thomas has always had an interest in the outdoors and physical activity. As a child, she spent a lot of time at her grandfather's farm.
"I had a horse when I was in junior high, and kept it at my grandfather's farm on Boone's Creek," Thomas said. "I remember in junior high jumping on my horse and riding all over, out to the lake and out through the fields."
These days, she hikes a lot and enjoys reading. Thomas recently earned her third-degree black belt in Taekwondo. Her kids started lessons when they were younger, and she became interested in the sport.
She said writing is a large part of any public relations position. She has evolved as the world has changed from paper to the Internet, but she still finds the process challenging.
"Writing was never my favorite thing to do, but I was good at it," Thomas said.
Copyright 2013 - Bristol Herald Courier, Va.
