A Long-Time FBO Friend Emails a Question ...

“What is today’s airport manager?” It was spurred by a lead article in our AIRPORT BUSINESS e-newsletter on Tuesday regarding the search in Tampa to replace Louis Miller, who resigned recently amid internal disagreements (reportedly) as director at Tampa International – an airport that is recognized as ‘top shelf’ among U.S. facilities. Lou Miller and his team are (were) generally recognized as the reason, continuing a legacy left by George Bean. The fixed base operator writes, “I caught the story you folks referenced regarding the airport manager vacancy in Tampa. I was particularly intrigued by the Tampa Commission acknowledgement that they first need to determine a ‘job description’ for their next airport manager. I’ve been giving a lot of thought of late into what the ‘correct’ (?) role should be for our airport manager. There’s a story somewhere in this message of significant national industry importance on the role of the airport manager of today.” I found it an intriguing question. The type of airport sponsor probably drives much of the discussion … be it city, county, independent authority, state, whatever. And the size difference, of course. The people running Phoenix Sky Harbor or LAX or O’Hare certainly have different job descriptions than the person directing a general aviation airport. (Those folks are just told, ‘Do everything”.) But it’s an interesting question because airports are much more dynamic today and play significant roles in anything from disaster response to economic development … each touches the airport manager. They’re shopping malls; they’re manufacturing centers; they’re tourist gateways. Robert Poole at the Reason Foundation (http://reason.org)  recently wrote in the Washington Times that we should rethink TSA and get it out of the massive bureaucracy business. He also suggests that airports should have the ultimate responsibility for all security related to their facilities. It’s done elsewhere. That has to add to the job description. Thanks for reading. jfi