Butler County Development Director David Fehr, who is responsible for the airport, told the Journal-News he received 36 resumes, and Richardson was the best choice because of his vast experience in the aviation field.
“He is definitely strong in airport operations, working with the FAA and with some of his airline contacts, those were some of the stronger points we felt made him the best candidate,” Fehr said. “He seemed very eager to get started, and he had a lot of enthusiasm, and I think it’s going to be a good partnership for both us.”
Richardson, a U.S. Navy veteran, spent the past eight years dispatching for United Airlines and has been working for airlines since 1993 in various capacities. While his experience has been on the airline side, he said the goals and experiences are similar.
“In airline and airport we basically operate under the same principle, you have to be safe, we have to follow the rules and regulations but we also have to be efficient and economic,” he said. “I think that’s where a lot of my 30-plus years with the airlines would be beneficial.”
Prior to Clayton, the county hadn’t had an airport manager since the commissioners fired Ron Davis in June 2017. The primary reason they let the former manager go — he had been at the helm for nearly 18 years — was money. The county could no longer sustain Davis’ $93,710 annual salary. With benefits the total general fund outlay was $110,310.
Revenues were not covering the costs and general fund monies bailed the airport out to the tune of $40,000 to $50,000 annually, up to as much as $100,000. That didn’t include the $155,000 in annual debt payments. Hogan Field has been solvent since then.
Part of the airport manager’s job description has always been to make sure the county is maximizing the airport, which is uniquely situated to further economic development in the area.
“I think there’s a lot of room to expand on the general aviation side especially on the business side,” Richardson said. “The I-75 corridor is very close and West Chester, Liberty Twp., that’s a booming area that we need to exploit.”
He said expanding aviation educational opportunities in the county is another. He said while Butler Tech — with $7 million worth of the county’s pandemic relief funds — is building an advanced technology aviation center at Hook Field in Middletown, they could partner with “these large flight academies that are doing pilot training,” to bring in fuel sales and other revenue.
Fehr said he will “tag team” with Richardson on generating ideas to bolster airport and they already are collaborating with the other airports, including Middletown, Oxford and CVG, to make sure they aren’t duplicating efforts.
Commissioner T.C. Rogers, who is the board’s airport liaison, told the Journal-News the economic development piece of the job has shifted a bit since the inception of the Butler County Finance Authority earlier this year.
“I think the main responsibility of the operation of the airport and him being responsive to the wants and needs of the clientele there,” Rogers said. “As far as the economic generation I think with our Butler County Finance Corporation with Joshua Smith combined with David Fehr and the commissioners we’re going to fulfill the development opportunities that come before us pretty quickly.”
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