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PITTSTON TWP. \u2014 The Bi-County Airport Board at the Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton International Airport is expected to vote to hire its new executive director at Thursday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n
The board will meet at 10:30 a.m. to vote on the recommended candidate.<\/p>\n
A motion is on the agenda for approval to hire the new executive director, conditional on negotiation of a final employment contract.<\/p>\n
When and if the motion is approved \u2014 two votes are required from Luzerne County and Lackawanna County members \u2014 the search for a new director will be completed.<\/p>\n
The final four candidates for the vacant executive director\u2019s position at the Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton International Airport were interviewed two weeks ago via Zoom.<\/p>\n
The six-member Bi-County Airport Board consists of Luzerne County members Chris Belles, acting chair; Lee Ann McDermott, and Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo; and 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 \u201cstepped aside\u201d to apply for the executive director\u2019s job. Chermak would return to the Bi-County Airport Board should he not be appointed executive director.<\/p>\n
The names of the other three candidates were not released to the public.<\/p>\n
The position, as advertised by consulting firm ADK, offers a competitive executive compensation package with a salary range of $135,000 to $150,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience.<\/p>\n
ADK was paid $47,000 to conduct the national search to replace Carl Beardsley Jr., who resigned earlier this year.<\/p>\n
One of the candidates \u2014 Chermak \u2014 decided to go public with his case by offering his qualifications and claiming he \u201chad the votes\u201d for the job \u2014 a claim refuted by all six members of the airport board.<\/p>\n
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