Lincoln Airport Authority Board Member Nick Cusick Steps Down

Aug. 9—Nick Cusick, who was appointed to the Lincoln Airport Authority Board in May 2012, resigned his seat following the board's July 25 meeting.

Cusick, the CEO of Bison Inc., cited some budgetary disagreements as his reason for stepping down.

"I was kind of in a different position from some of the other board members on some key issues," he said. "And so I felt that ultimately, my energy and my effort wasn't going to pay the kind of dividends that I wanted for the airport.

"I thought it would be better if they went forward without me."

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird will nominate Cusick's replacement. Cusick said he called Gaylor Baird before he announced his decision to give her time to appoint someone.

The City Council must approve her nomination, said T.J. McDowell, the mayor's chief of staff, adding that she will make finding the best nominee a priority in the next week.

"We don't want a delay on this important process," McDowell said.

Cusick, who was appointed by then-mayor Chris Beutler after Ed Raines moved out of state, was elected twice and had two years to go in his term.

"Eleven years," he said. "That is enough and we've accomplished some good stuff in that time."

In his time, he was the linchpin of a board that oversaw the largest budget in the airport's history — $78.3 million this fiscal year. The board also levied property taxes in recent years to help pay for the airport's terminal renovation and expansion project.

And as air carriers were discontinuing service to Lincoln, Cusick is proud of helping to usher in the Red Way era, which in its first two months of operation has had its ups and downs.

"I think we've had some successes and some failures," he said. "Anytime we're doing something that's very entrepreneurial — that's what this was, very entrepreneurial — there is risk-taking.

"If Lincoln is to get more service it will take this kind of outside-the-box thinking."

Red Way has sold a lot of tickets in its first two months, but abruptly discontinued flights to Minneapolis, Atlanta and Austin, Texas, this month.

In addition, the air carrier quickly tapped more than $928,000 from the $3 million pot formed by the city of Lincoln and Lancaster County from American Rescue Plan Act funds.

"It was bigger than we'd hoped, but not surprising," he said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7391 or [email protected]

On Twitter @psangimino

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