John D. Clark III is out as Indianapolis airport executive director

March 20--After three sometimes-controversial years, John D. Clark III suddenly was out Monday as executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

Facing billion-dollar challenges, board members of the municipally owned airport system will begin the search for a new executive director Friday. They seek a director who is capable of running the new terminal building amid a sour economy, declines in travel, rising jet fuel prices and cutbacks in airline services

The announcement of Clark's departure from the airport's top management job capped a private meeting with board President Michael W. Wells.

Wells declined to characterize the nature of their discussion except that Clark's departure was a mutual decision.

"John came here with a three-year letter that is coming up," Wells said. "We sat down to discuss where it is going, and we agreed to part ways."

Clark's split follows a series of changes beginning in December when then-board President Michael Stayton, a strong vocal supporter of Clark, retired before the end of his term.

Mayor Greg Ballard, who has questioned whether the city is getting the most economic development potential from the airport, then appointed Wells in January.

A longtime economic developer in Indianapolis with 16 years of previous experience on the airport board, Wells was immediately voted president of the board.

Looking ahead, Wells said the airport has gone through two major transformations. BAA, a private management company, was dismissed several years ago as the hired operator of the airport. Then the new terminal opened three years ago, shortly before Clark's arrival.

"Now, we're looking at a challenging time for airports with oil over $100 a barrel and airlines cutting the number of seats," Wells said.

Robert Duncan, 66, who retired last year after 38 years as Indianapolis airport attorney and interim director, was tapped again for the interim job. He said he will be back today.

The public statements didn't portray a shake-up of the organization. And they didn't refer to Clark's rocky relations with labor unions or a public controversy surrounding international travel expenses claimed by Clark's management team.

Clark was followed from his previous job as director of the Jacksonville, Fla., airport by concerns that he was spending too much on lavish international travel. At the time, Clark was chairman of an international aviation industry trade group that required the travel.

Around that time, Florida officials investigated his travel to interview for the Indiana job.

Clark has an international reputation as an airport manager and was one of three finalists in 2010 to lead the country's busiest field, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

A year after he landed here, The Indianapolis Star reported that he was still globetrotting on an expense account but not to the extent he was traveling during his previous job.

In regular reviews of travel vouchers for Clark and his senior managers, Indianapolis news reporters have noticed trips in the past year to Morocco, Greece, Brazil, Denmark, Switzerland and several U.S. cities. The trips are defended as economic development and aviation industry networking.

On news of Clark's departure, union leaders said Monday they still blame Clark for halting last year's negotiations on a contract on behalf of the airport's operating engineers.

But Clark's detractors also agree that he did implement some personnel training opportunities and other improvements.

He also brought the "aerotropolis" concept of using the airport as the center of regional economic development. A study for that cost nearly $1 million.

Wells said that Clark has headed the airport authority and Indianapolis International Airport since 2009 "during a period of turbulence in the aviation industry." "Despite these challenges, we believe that there is great opportunity ahead for (the) airport."

The mayor added in a written statement: "He played an important role in managing one of our most vital economic development assets and the gateway welcoming visitors to our city."

Clark, 51, could not be reached for comment. In a statement, he said: "I want to thank my team. Together, we accomplished a lot over the past three years.

"An airport is one of the most powerful economic development engines a region can have, and from day one we have worked to position the Indianapolis International Airport for long-term growth and success."

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