Augusta Regional Airport (KAGS), Georgia: Aviation Commission selects new chairman

A new chairman for the governing board of Augusta Regional Airport was elected Thursday in what was called a compromise following a contentious tie vote for the position in December.

Doug Lively, an eight-year veteran of the commission, was unanimously elected by the Augusta Aviation Commission. His nomination was unopposed.

At the regular monthly meeting on Dec. 18, the 12-member board split its vote on electing either Lowell Dorn or Cedric Johnson, both standing members of the commission. The commission’s charter did not include rules for breaking a tie.

The tie vote resulted after a disagreement in the nominating process. Commissioner Paulette Curry said she was unfairly excluded because of a scheduling conflict from a meeting of the nominating committee when Dorn was selected as the nominee.

At the December meeting, Curry nominated Johnson and Lively for chair and vice-chair, respectively. Lively did not accept the nomination and Kellie Kenner-McIntyre, Richmond County’s solicitor general, was nominated in his place and elected.

At Thursday’s meeting, Lively said he reconsidered the nomination after commission members in the past month were unable to agree on a selection from the prior nominees.

“I’d like to see us look forward, move forward,” Lively said.

Jay Forrester, outgoing commission chair, thanked the commission members for a “spirit of compromise” after the vote electing Lively. Forrester joined the meeting via speakerphone because he was traveling.

Lively, an Augusta native, is an insurance broker for Lively Templeton and Associates. He served on the committee that selected current Augusta Regional Executive Director Gary LeTellier.

In other news, the commission approved a final change order that closed out a contract with Choate Construction, the contractor for the airport’s general aviation terminal that opened last year. The final cost of the project was $5.3 million, which was $282,000 in excess of the original budget.

Story:   http://chronicle.augusta.com