Airport director search launched

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids Airport Commission has launched a nationwide search for a new director, with plans to name a successor to Tim Bradshaw by Thanksgiving.

Bradshaw resigned earlier this month to become executive director of the Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport in Roanoke, Va.

The commission has approved an agreement with executive search firm ADK Consulting Inc. of Astoria, N.Y., to assist with the search for a new airport director. Commission Chairman Josh Schamberger said ADK Consulting will be paid $21,000, which is less than the $30,000 the firm received four years ago when it helped recruit Bradshaw.

'We eliminated some of the things that we didn't need ADK to take care of,” Schamberger said. 'The last time, they prepared a full brochure highlighting the area. With the hiring of Gene Cossey as airport operations director seven weeks ago, we decided to change the title and use a lot of the same material.”

Schamberger said he and Commissioner Pat Baird also felt ADK could narrow its search parameters.

'We really didn't feel that we needed ADK to do a search of 7,100 airport employees all over the country,” Schamberger said. 'We felt that with its proven knowledge of the industry, odds are good that ADK probably knows the top 10 or 12 candidates in the country.”

Schamberger said the commission hopes to have the three finalists and their spouses visit and tour the Corridor the weekend of Nov. 15-16. The candidates will have a day of interviews on Nov. 17 that will include Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz.

Schamberger said the commission will meet that afternoon and decide which candidate will be offered the position. He said a decision will be announced by Nov. 19 or Nov. 20.

Schamberger said Cossey has indicated he plans to apply for the airport director position. He was previously senior manager of airside operations and safety at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.