Just when the Bi-County Airport Board thought it had a new executive director for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, the matter apparently is returning to the hangar.

On Wednesday, Chris Belles, acting Chair of the board, said Kim William “Bill” Hopper, the man who was unanimously appointed to the post last month, has withdrawn from consideration.

“After a nationwide search and many hours of interviews and research, the airport’s board of directors selected the candidate we believed was best qualified to serve as executive director,” Belles said in an emailed statement. “The board and the candidate were unable to reach an agreement on the terms of a contract, and he has withdrawn from consideration. As with all personnel matters, the details of employment negotiations are confidential.”

The Bi-County Airport Board is scheduled to meet Thursday morning in regular session, but the executive director position will now be the focal point of an executive session discussion, Belles said.

Belles said the board will examine all options and decide what course it will take going forward. He said the board could decide to re-advertise the position, reevaluate the final candidates that were interviewed, or attempt to try to negotiate with Hopper — an option Belles said would be “unlikely” since Hopper withdrew.

“It is important for AVP employees and the public to know that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport remains under stable leadership, as it has throughout this process,” Belles said in his statement. “The board remains committed to selecting the most qualified person to lead our airport, and the search continues, informed by the valuable perspective we have gained. We are working together to determine the appropriate next steps.

“The board remains steadfast. We will ensure that the airport — one of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s crown jewels — gets the leader it deserves.”

Hopper did not return calls seeking comment.

Stephen Mykulyn, the airport’s director of engineering, has been the interim executive director since Carl Beardsley resigned the position.

August meeting

In August, Hopper had all six members of the Bi-County Airport Board vote for him, praising h’m as the best candidate for the job. and they all voted for him — Belles, fellow Luzerne County Council member LeeAnn McDermott, Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo, Lackawanna County Commissioners Bill Gaughan and Thom Welby, and attorney Chris Munley. Munley was appointed to temporarily fill the seat of Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak, who “stepped aside” to apply for the executive director’s job.

Hopper, who served as executive director of the Pitt-Greenville Airport Authority in North Carolina from February 2019 through June 2026, was expected to sign a five-year contract. His starting date was to be Nov. 1.

At the August meeting, Belles said Hopper’s contract details and salary were still under negotiation. The position was advertised at a maximum salary of $150,000 per year. Apparently something arose that was not resolved and Hopper withdrew.

It’s not known if Chermak will return to his seat on the Bi-County Airport Board.

The hiring of Hopper ended a months-long national search conducted by ADK Consulting, which was paid $47,000 to find a replacement for Carl Beardsley Jr., who resigned earlier this year.

After he was appointed, Hopper was contacted at his home in North Carolina, Hopper said he was excited about returning to the Northeast. He said he spent a lot of time in New York state, having worked at airports in Elmira and Binghamton, where he said he hired Beardsley as an intern.

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Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.