Jacksonville, Fla., Airport Director Steps Down After 2 Years

Jan. 12--Jacksonville International Airport's director has resigned in order to return to the West Coast, from where she came to the First Coast two years ago, sparking organizational changes within the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.

Danette Bewley handed in her resignation and left at the end of last week, using up vacation days before her official last day at the end of the month.

Although Bewley, who has had some differences with Airport Authority management, admitted the resignation might seem abrupt and said it was a decision she had been considering for some time.

"My heart is really on the West Coast," said Bewley, whose fiance lives there. "We've been doing the bi-coastal thing for two years.

Over the holidays we decided enough was enough."

Bewley came to Jacksonville in December 2003 after 14 years with San Diego International Airport, where she held a variety of jobs, including managing terminal operations and helping attract British Airways and JetBlue to the airport.

During her tenure leading Jacksonville International Airport, there have been some disagreements about management style between Bewley and authority leadership, with executives at the authority suggesting changes in how she managed employees.

Although family ties were the main reason for her resignation, Bewley said, she added that she "wouldn't deny" there were differences with upper management.

"The family pull is strong," she said. "If I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I can keep the balance between what I do and being away from my family. When the balance shifts, that becomes precarious."

The Aviation Authority has made no official announcement about Bewley's resignation, with most employees finding out through an e- mail she sent throughout the organization.

Authority Executive Director John Clark did not return a call placed Wednesday afternoon. Chief Administration Officer Chip Snowden referred calls to spokesman Michael Stewart, who is attending an American Association of Airport Executives conference in Hawaii.

"I don't have anything official from upper management," Stewart said Wednesday afternoon from the conference. "The timing of the announcement and the transition is happening as we speak."

Wednesday evening , Stewart released a letter from Chief Operating Officer Maribel Hernandez announcing changes in the authority's operating division, including merging the JIA director's office with that of the director of the authority's general aviation airports.

That change, which was effective Monday, puts Bob Simpson in charge of system-wide aviation management, overseeing a manager of each airport. Simpson handled the transition of Cecil Field from a military base to an airport when the U.S. Navy gave it to the city and also coordinated the authority's Super Bowl activities.

Bewley's resignation comes on the heels of the retirement of Paul Hackenberry, the Transportation Security Administration's federal security director for Jacksonville who left the federal agency late last week to start a security consulting business.