Monday, August 05, 2013

Glynn County Airport Commission names new director: Assistant director of Tampa International moving to Brunswick for job

BRUNSWICK | The assistant administrator at Tampa International Airport is moving north to become executive director of the Glynn County Airport Commission.

The Airport Commission hired Robert Burr Monday after a lengthy application process. He’ll report to work Oct. 1, replacing Steve Brian who resigned under pressure in March but has served as interim director since then.

A $15 million runway repaving project begins on Sept. 4 and Burr, who has served as Tampa’s director of operations since December 2001, will face a steep learning curve when he takes over. To ease him into the job, Airport Commission Chairman Bill Brunson wants to keep Brian around a little longer.

“I don’t think it would be fair to bring somebody in on his first day with all the asphalt trucks running around and say, ‘Here. Do your job,’ ” Brunson said.

But Glynn County Commission Chairman Mary Hunt said that’s not going to happen.

“This is something that the County Commission made very clear,” she said. “As soon as a new director was named, Steve Brian would no longer be needed. It would be wasting money, paying two airport directors.”

Burr was picked from a pool of 90 applicants, Brunson said.

“It took several months to go through the process,” he said.

Four finalists were interviewed two weeks ago and Burr was formally hired during an Airport Commission meeting Monday.

“We had a lot of qualified candidates, but we felt like he was our best choice,” Brunson said.

Burr holds a bachelor’s degree in airport management and a master’s in aerospace education, both from Middle Tennessee State University. He went to work at the Tampa airport in 1980 as assistant director of operations.

‘He’s been there for more than 30 years and he has a lot of experience,” Brunson said. “He’s been there and done that and we just think he’s going to be a good fit for our airport.”

As director, Burr will also be in charge of
McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport.

Burr’s compensation package was still under negotiation, Brunson.

He was en route to Brunswick Monday and not available for comment.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com