Jan. 29--OGDEN -- After four months of interim work, former Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner has been named full-time manager of the Ogden-Hinckley Airport.
The city announced the appointment Wednesday afternoon, saying Greiner had been selected for the job after the review of more than 80 applications and in-depth interviews of a national base of candidates.
Director of Community and Economic Development Tom Christopulos said the selection process included participation by various stakeholders including the Ogden Regional Airport Association and the Ogden Airport Advisory Board as well as input from federal agencies.
"He is, by consensus, the strongest candidate to help construct a multi-faceted business plan and move the airport forward," Christopulos said. "Jon served as interim manager for the past four months, and in that time he has identified airport needs, presented creative ideas and successfully communicated how to move the airport forward in the next decade."
Greiner said one of his major initiatives will be to expand its commercial air service.
In September 2012, the airport began commercial airline service between Ogden and Mesa, Ariz.
The service is provided by Allegiant Air, a subsidiary of the Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co., and offers flights twice weekly.
The city has said that the service has continued to do extremely well, with the flights averaging higher than 90 percent of their maximum passenger capacity of 166.
"We need to move the airport closer to self-sufficiency," Greiner said. "And one of the best ways to do that is to attract more commercial service."
Greiner said he will also look to expand facilities at Ogden-Hinckley and that the airport needs to better conform with Transportation Security Administration requirements.
Greiner was pinned as interim airport manager in October, replacing former manager Royal Eccles.
Hired as airport manager in August 2011 by then-Mayor Matthew Godfrey, Eccles' dismissal was abrupt and unceremonious, but he received letters of support from several members of the aviation community.
Ogden City has declined to comment on the dismissal, other than to say it was justified and city policy calls for all personnel matters to stay in-house.
The Standard-Examiner reached Eccles for this story, but he declined comment.
Greiner served as Ogden police chief for 16 years, but was dismissed in December 2012 because of a federal Hatch Act violation involving federal grants and his candidacy and service as a state senator.
The city did not disclose Greiner's salary Wednesday, but a Utah Government Records Access and Management Act request by the Standard-Examiner in November showed that Greiner was paid $3,000 every two weeks while fulfilling his duties as interim airport manager.
Eccles made $80,000 annually as airport manager.
Contact reporter Mitch Shaw at 801-625-4233 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @mitchshaw23.
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