Sioux Gateway Airport gets new director
McElroy now working at Fort Wayne International Airport
By Lynn Zerschling Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Sioux Gateway Airport's new director has worked on airport issues in cities around the world, from Argentina to Australia to Saudi Arabia.
"One of the things I've wanted to do was become a permanent airport director and that was one of the things that attracted me to Sioux City," Rick McElroy said Wednesday from Fort Wayne, Ind. "Their are similarities in the way the airport is structured in Sioux City and here. We also have an Air Guard at our airport."
For the last four years McElroy has been the director of administration and finance at Fort Wayne International Airport. During a six-month period, he served as interim executive director after the Fort Wayne director left to take a position in Louisville, Ky.
McElroy's appointment was announced by Dan Kaplan, chairman of the airport's board of trustees. McElroy, 54, will begin his duties at Sioux Gateway on May 21. The post has been vacant since Glenn Januska resigned last November to accept a job in Casper, Wyo.
McElroy will be paid $88,000 a year, according to Bridey Hayes, city human resources director.
"Rick is very qualified for this role," Kaplan said.
Prior to going to work in Fort Wayne, McElroy spent 23 years working in various roles for both private and government agencies in the aviation and aerospace fields. While he has taken flying lessons, he is not a licensed pilot.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, he attended Ohio State University and graduated from Franklin University in Columbus with a degree in business administration. While working in Cairo, Egypt, a friend offered him a job with Lockheed Air Terminal, which built and managed airports around the world.
"They had just finished building a new airport in Turkmenistan and asked if I was interested in working at the airport," McElroy recalled. "I said, 'Sure.' Then I got out my globe and looked to see where it was. It's in the Caspian Sea area close to Iran and Afghanistan. It has the world's third-largest natural gas reserves."
He worked at that airport from 1994-95 when he was transferred to Sidney, Australia, where Lockheed was working on privatizing a number of airports. He left after a new prime minister was elected and "put the stops on the privatization process."
He then worked out of the corporation's Glendale, Calif., office on business development and privatization projects in Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia. He returned to Australia to work on privatizing airports in the Northwest Territories.
He worked on airport projects in three major cities in Bolivia, which included hiring airport management personnel, putting together a business plan and financial model for the three airports.
His tour with the company that became Lockheed Airport Group International included a stint in Dusseldorf, Germany. After that assignment he retuned to Glendale until another corporation took over Lockheed and a number of employees were laid off, including McElroy.
"I went back into airport aviation contracting and took different assignments, including to Oman and Riyad, Saudi Arabia. The opportunity came up here in Fort Wayne. I took the job because it brought be closer to my family in Columbus."
Fort Wayne, with a population of 250,000, has major carriers serving its airport, including American, United, Delta, Northwest and Continental. He helped bring in a low-fare carrier, Allegiant Air. Sioux Gateway, on the other hand, has only Northwest Airlines serving Sioux City.
The ongoing major challenge facing city and business leaders is to land another carrier.
"We have the same challenges though," McElroy stated. "We do lose a lot of our catchment area to Indianapolis, while Sioux City has a challenge with Sioux Falls and Omaha. It seems like they're doing all the right things. A lot of the time, it's a matter of timing and building relationships with airlines so they are able to plug in an aircraft when it becomes available.
"We spoke with Allegiant three years ago. They were just finally able to put together a plan where they could have aircraft available to come to Fort Wayne.
"When I look at Sioux City, I see it's a good market in a good location. From what I understand, the trustees, chamber and city officials are talking to the right airlines. It's a matter of time and persistence," he said.
He emphasized he felt Sioux Gateway is fortunate to have the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, stationed at the airport. The Guard has converted from a Fighter Wing of F-16s to a tanker wing.
In Fort Wayne, McElroy said, "We ended up on the plus side -- we gained some F-16s. I think it's a great benefit to the community" to have the Guard.
Kaplan said the trustees, with the assistance of Hayes in human resources, interviewed about a half dozen semi-finalists over the telephone. McElroy was selected from three finalists who visited Sioux City for interviews.
"On paper all three were very qualified," Kaplan said. "One thing that stood out about Rick was his ability to build a rapport and develop good working relationships not only with city staff, but with users of the airport including the Air Guard and Jetsun Aviation."
McElroy is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives.
Kaplan thanked Dave McWilliams, interim airport director, for postponing his retirement plans to take on additional responsibilities in addition to handling maintenance and operations.
"He really has done an outstanding job."
McElroy added, "When I visited there, I was very impressed with the trustees, the city manager and Dave, who has done a really great job of filling in. The staff seems very capable. I am looking forward to getting there."
Lynn Zerschling may be reached at (712) 293-4202 or lynnzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com
"One of the things I've wanted to do was become a permanent airport director and that was one of the things that attracted me to Sioux City," Rick McElroy said Wednesday from Fort Wayne, Ind. "Their are similarities in the way the airport is structured in Sioux City and here. We also have an Air Guard at our airport."
For the last four years McElroy has been the director of administration and finance at Fort Wayne International Airport. During a six-month period, he served as interim executive director after the Fort Wayne director left to take a position in Louisville, Ky.
McElroy's appointment was announced by Dan Kaplan, chairman of the airport's board of trustees. McElroy, 54, will begin his duties at Sioux Gateway on May 21. The post has been vacant since Glenn Januska resigned last November to accept a job in Casper, Wyo.
McElroy will be paid $88,000 a year, according to Bridey Hayes, city human resources director.
"Rick is very qualified for this role," Kaplan said.
Prior to going to work in Fort Wayne, McElroy spent 23 years working in various roles for both private and government agencies in the aviation and aerospace fields. While he has taken flying lessons, he is not a licensed pilot.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, he attended Ohio State University and graduated from Franklin University in Columbus with a degree in business administration. While working in Cairo, Egypt, a friend offered him a job with Lockheed Air Terminal, which built and managed airports around the world.
"They had just finished building a new airport in Turkmenistan and asked if I was interested in working at the airport," McElroy recalled. "I said, 'Sure.' Then I got out my globe and looked to see where it was. It's in the Caspian Sea area close to Iran and Afghanistan. It has the world's third-largest natural gas reserves."
He worked at that airport from 1994-95 when he was transferred to Sidney, Australia, where Lockheed was working on privatizing a number of airports. He left after a new prime minister was elected and "put the stops on the privatization process."
He then worked out of the corporation's Glendale, Calif., office on business development and privatization projects in Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia. He returned to Australia to work on privatizing airports in the Northwest Territories.
He worked on airport projects in three major cities in Bolivia, which included hiring airport management personnel, putting together a business plan and financial model for the three airports.
His tour with the company that became Lockheed Airport Group International included a stint in Dusseldorf, Germany. After that assignment he retuned to Glendale until another corporation took over Lockheed and a number of employees were laid off, including McElroy.
"I went back into airport aviation contracting and took different assignments, including to Oman and Riyad, Saudi Arabia. The opportunity came up here in Fort Wayne. I took the job because it brought be closer to my family in Columbus."
Fort Wayne, with a population of 250,000, has major carriers serving its airport, including American, United, Delta, Northwest and Continental. He helped bring in a low-fare carrier, Allegiant Air. Sioux Gateway, on the other hand, has only Northwest Airlines serving Sioux City.
The ongoing major challenge facing city and business leaders is to land another carrier.
"We have the same challenges though," McElroy stated. "We do lose a lot of our catchment area to Indianapolis, while Sioux City has a challenge with Sioux Falls and Omaha. It seems like they're doing all the right things. A lot of the time, it's a matter of timing and building relationships with airlines so they are able to plug in an aircraft when it becomes available.
"We spoke with Allegiant three years ago. They were just finally able to put together a plan where they could have aircraft available to come to Fort Wayne.
"When I look at Sioux City, I see it's a good market in a good location. From what I understand, the trustees, chamber and city officials are talking to the right airlines. It's a matter of time and persistence," he said.
He emphasized he felt Sioux Gateway is fortunate to have the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, stationed at the airport. The Guard has converted from a Fighter Wing of F-16s to a tanker wing.
In Fort Wayne, McElroy said, "We ended up on the plus side -- we gained some F-16s. I think it's a great benefit to the community" to have the Guard.
Kaplan said the trustees, with the assistance of Hayes in human resources, interviewed about a half dozen semi-finalists over the telephone. McElroy was selected from three finalists who visited Sioux City for interviews.
"On paper all three were very qualified," Kaplan said. "One thing that stood out about Rick was his ability to build a rapport and develop good working relationships not only with city staff, but with users of the airport including the Air Guard and Jetsun Aviation."
McElroy is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives.
Kaplan thanked Dave McWilliams, interim airport director, for postponing his retirement plans to take on additional responsibilities in addition to handling maintenance and operations.
"He really has done an outstanding job."
McElroy added, "When I visited there, I was very impressed with the trustees, the city manager and Dave, who has done a really great job of filling in. The staff seems very capable. I am looking forward to getting there."
Lynn Zerschling may be reached at (712) 293-4202 or lynnzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com
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Wow Scott wrote on May 11, 2007 1:17 PM:
Re Scottie's Thoughts wrote on May 11, 2007 1:06 PM:
Scott from Denver wrote on May 10, 2007 11:04 PM:
RIP Sioux City Airport: wrote on May 10, 2007 10:14 PM:
Ben wrote on May 10, 2007 9:51 PM: