Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Airport antics affecting applicants: Coeur d'Alene Airport (KCOE), Idaho; Potential manager candidate lays into commissioners

COEUR d'ALENE - Jeff Jensen, of Federal Way, Wash., has been searching for a job managing a small airport.

So when he saw an advertisement for a manager position at the Coeur d'Alene Airport he thought he had found the perfect fit for himself. He pictured all the rich outdoors activities North Idaho would offer.

Then he did a little Googling.

"Prior to sending in my application packet, I thought I would see if I could find any information in the press regarding the airport manager position," Jensen wrote in an email to Kootenai County's human resources manager on Friday afternoon. He sent copies to a couple reporters at The Press, too.

"I was shocked to find out what is really going on there and what will more than likely happen to the new manager when he or she shows up for work in January," Jensen continued.

Two commissioners - Dan Green and Todd Tondee - recently fired the longtime airport manager, Greg Delavan. Commissioner Jai Nelson opposed that move.

"I believe our applications and candidate pool is being severely impacted by the recent situation with the former airport director Greg Delavan and the subsequent media publications," Nelson said Monday. "It's easy to do a quick search on the Internet and discover some of the issues involving the airport. I'm certain this is keeping well-qualified leaders in aviation from applying."

Two of the three commissioners will be new in January, and both have expressed at least some interest in having Delavan reinstated or seriously considering it.

Green, whose term doesn't end next year and will stay on with commissioners-elect David Stewart and Marc Eberlein, said Monday that Jensen's comments are based only on newspaper reports. That's only part of the story, he said.

"I wonder if there are other candidates that have not submitted applications based on only press reports?" Green said. "If that were true, it's disappointing."

Green said Jensen never contacted him.

Nelson intends to take part in the upcoming interview process.

"However, if a candidate is to be offered a position, I'm going to vote 'abstain' due to my firm opposition to this process," Nelson told The Press. "By voting to abstain, this will place any hiring decision fully in the hands of Todd Tondee and Dan Green."

During a meeting of the commissioners on Monday, Nelson asked Tondee and Green to postpone the hiring process for a few more weeks to allow the new commissioners and Green to make the final selection. Green and Tondee said the process should continue.

Green has said there is no timeline for hiring somebody, but if an excellent candidate applies he wouldn't hesitate to fill the position.

Jensen might have been a good candidate for the job.

He most recently was aviation business manager for the Weyerhaeuser Co. aviation department at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to his resume. He has a decade of managerial experience in corporate aviation and possesses a private pilot license.

He has a master's degree in business, an aviation technology degree, and has a professional certification from the American Association of Airport Executives.

The commissioners will be taking applications until this Friday.

Jensen said he has no ties to Delavan or anyone in the county.

"There are very qualified people who would be interested" in the job, Jensen said in an interview. "But certainly not under the circumstances."

He said he won't be submitting an application now.

"They're asking professional people to waste a lot of their time," Jensen said.

Any new hire will be "walking into a rather interesting position," he said.

"Kootenai County government clearly does not deserve my services," he wrote to the county's human resources manager, Skye Reynolds. "I hope your community is better served by your new commissioners and I hope that you will treat future job applicants with the respect they deserve."

Reynolds responded in an email: "I wish you well in your future endeavors."

Story and Comments:   http://www.cdapress.com

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