Corbett names Johnson County man to Cedar Rapids airport commission

Mayor Ron Corbett has appointed a Johnson County man to the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission.

Joshua Schamberger, 31, president of the Iowa City/Coralville Convention & Visitors Bureau, would be the first non-Cedar Rapids resident to serve on the five-member commission. His appointment is subject to the approval of the Cedar Rapids City Council, which will be asked to approve it Wednesday.

The Cedar Rapids Airport Commission operates the city-owned Eastern Iowa Airport. A change in state law approved by the Iowa Legislature in 2009 and signed by Gov. Chet Culver allows two members of a five-member airport commission to be appointed from a city or county served by the airport.

“Josh Schamberger will bring an element of leisure travel to the commission,” Corbett said. “I would like to see his appointment approved this week so he can join the commission's selection process for a new airport director to succeed Dan Mann.”

Mann announced last month he is leaving Cedar Rapids later this month to become executive director of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in Columbia, S.C.

Corbett signaled last week that he might like appoint a Johnson County resident to succeed Helen Arnold, who resigned from the commission two weeks ago to move to Las Vegas. Schamberger would serve out Arnold's term, which will end June 30, 2011.

Schamberger was instrumental in coordinating the successful Herky on Parade public art

partnership in 2004 among the University of Iowa Athletics Department, the convention and visitors bureau, area businesses and others. He previously was one of the masterminds of the “Overalls All Over” project when he was on the staff of Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Schamberger also led the creation of the Community Gift Certificate Program, where a common gift certificate can be redeemed at dozens of retailers in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty.