Tupelo Airport Board Taps Pace Group to Find Director
Dec. 22—TUPELO — The Tupelo Regional Airport Board has unanimously voted to select The Pace Group to conduct a nationwide search for its next executive director.
Former director Cliff Nash, who came to Tupelo from Tunica in 2015, retired early on Dec. 1.
Three executive search firms presented their cases to the board on Tuesday. After approximately two hours, the board tapped Tupelo-based Pace, which was represented in person by founder and chair John Lovorn and president Anthony Michelic via Zoom.
Lovorn said The Pace Group had placed 12 executives in various positions this year, despite the pandemic affecting the economy in many parts of the country.
Those executives are earning between $150,000 to $170,000 annually, Michelic noted.
"We're going to talk to you and find out what you want in your next executive director," Michelic said. "We're going to sit down in person and meet with you. We'll have complete notes to create a needs assessment to make sure we know what out what you want and to make sure we're on the mark."
The board wanted to ensure whoever conducted the search was familiar with Tupelo and Northeast Mississippi. They also wanted the firm and the candidates to know the unique needs of the airport.
The other firm in the running, Florida-based ADK Consulting, drew interest from the board for its extensive experience in the aviation industry.
Company president and CEO Doug Keulpman said his firm has worked with some 150 airports nationwide and has placed 80 airport CEOs/directors.
That background made ADK a strong candidate to do the search for Tupelo, but board members were unsure if the firm could push Tupelo and the area as much as The Pace Group. Nor did they think they understood Tupelo Regional's needs as well.
The Pace Group's Michelic said, "We want to sell the job, the community, the organization" to potential candidates.
He also said The Pace Group is well-connected, with contacts in 42 states and 450 communities.
"And if the director leaves within two years, we'll replace them for free," Michelic said.
The Pace Group's fee is $25,000 plus expenses, nearly $5,000 lower than ADK's bid and $500 more than the third search firm that made a presentation, ACS.
Lovorn said he expects to find an executive director in six to eight weeks. The director's salary will be in the $90,000-$100,000 range.
Twitter: @dennisseid
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