ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla — The small airport in St. Augustine is seeing a lot of big changes in a short period of time.
"I have major concerns," Bruce Maguire said. He used to serve on the St. Johns County Airport Authority board which makes the big decisions about how the public, taxpayer-supported airport operates.
Maguire is concerned about the direction of the airport and the board after recent elections saw the most seats turnover.
One of the board’s first steps was to oust Ed Wuellner, the airport’s executive director of 27 years. Months later, the board was just about to hire a replacement, when he declined the offer.
Fast forward to this week. The interim director, Kevin Harvey, who has been at the airport for more than a decade, surprisingly resigned. He cited a lack of support and respect from the board.
And now, First Coast News has confirmed the office manager quit this week too, after nearly 20 years at the airport.
What’s going on?
Maguire was told that the board is "meeting more often, they’re talking more often, but they refuse to make decisions, especially decisions which would have positive benefits to the airport."
Maguire is concerned that the departure of three long-time airport leaders is a brain drain. "You have lost all of your memory, corporate knowledge, all the information you need to run an efficient and effective operation," he told First Coast News.
He said that includes grant writing skills which small airports need to secure commercial airline flights, something that the airport does not have right now.
In fact, a deal to bring in a commercial airline fell apart in March after the board did not make a decision within the airline's timeframe.
A current board member, Robert Olsen told First Coast News Thursday “I feel our board does not fully understand how a board and executive direction should successfully work together.”