XNA interviewing chief executive hopefuls

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK The terminal and front entrance is visible Friday, June 22, 2018, at the Northwest Arkansas Regioinal Airport in Highfill. The 20-year-old terminal building at the Northwest Arkansas Regioinal Airport will be getting a makeover in the next couple of years. Board members on Wednesday had in an informal input session with engineers and architects to give them a general idea of what they'd like the terminal to look like after the planned renovation and expansion. The work should result in a new front door for the terminal including a new building across the loop drive from the main terminal and a second-floor bridge into what is now the front of the terminal.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK The terminal and front entrance is visible Friday, June 22, 2018, at the Northwest Arkansas Regioinal Airport in Highfill. The 20-year-old terminal building at the Northwest Arkansas Regioinal Airport will be getting a makeover in the next couple of years. Board members on Wednesday had in an informal input session with engineers and architects to give them a general idea of what they'd like the terminal to look like after the planned renovation and expansion. The work should result in a new front door for the terminal including a new building across the loop drive from the main terminal and a second-floor bridge into what is now the front of the terminal.

HIGHFILL -- Regional airport directors will interview six candidates today in their search for an executive director.

Executive Director and CEO Scott Van Laningham announced earlier this year he plans to retire by the end of the year, possibly as early as October.

The candidates include:

• Aaron Burkes, president of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority.

• Kelly Fredericks, former chief executive officer at Ontario International Airport in California.

• Steve Hennigan, assistant general manager for operations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

• Kelly Johnson, airport director at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.

• Bradley "Brad" Livingston, retired airport director at Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin.

• Tom Nolan, executive director at Palm Springs International Airport in California.

The interviews will begin early this morning as part of a special meeting, and directors are expected to spend about an hour and 15 minutes with each candidate, Van Laningham said. The interviews are expected to be done in executive session.

Directors want to pare the list after the interviews, Van Laningham said. The board hired Russell Reynolds Assoc., an executive search firm, to recruit Van Laningham's replacement.

Board members said in July they want to be thorough, but also want to see the process move as quickly as possible.

Hans Roth, with Russell Reynolds, told directors in July the firm was narrowing the list of candidates from about 30 who applied.

XNA began succession planning in October. Russell Reynolds came on board in November.

The regional airport has 47 employees and a 2017 budget of about $24 million. Van Laningham makes just more than $200,000 per year.

The average annual salary is about $250,000 for the similar position at 10 airports, including Little Rock; Tulsa, Okla.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Omaha, Neb.

Russell Reynolds is expected to recommend to the board how duties will be divvied among top management and what the organizational chart will look like.

Hiring a chief executive is a priority so people can be involved in hiring several others for leadership positions, including a chief finance officer, a chief operations officer and possibly a chief business development officer, which would be a new position.

Russell Reynolds is being paid about $200,000.

NW News on 08/30/2018

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