"Tupelo airport manager gets FAA award"

Saturday, February 5, 2005

Tupelo airport manager gets FAA award
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal


TUPELO, Miss. -- On Tuesday, Terry Anderson celebrated his fifth anniversary
as executive director of Tupelo Regional Airport. But he got an early
anniversary gift a week earlier from the Federal Aviation Administration.

At the annual the annual Airports Communications Conference in Atlanta, the
FAA Southern Region Airports Division picked Anderson as the 2004 Commercial
Service Airport Manager of the Year.

"It's a great reflection of what we've accomplished at Tupelo Regional,"
Anderson said.

He credited a strong working relationship with the airport authority's board
of directors, chaired by Dr. Dan Kellum, as well as his support staff.

"They're just superb," Anderson said of his staff.

And he said having a board that understands the needs of the airport and the
community and that has a vision for the future helps him do his job.

"It's important that everyone has some idea of what we're trying to do,"
Anderson. "Everybody has to help keep the train on the tracks, so to speak."

The FAA cited Anderson's leadership in helping the airport complete many
projects "to increase safety, efficiency and security."

The projects included constructing an air traffic control tower with STARS
capability, establishing a chartered law enforcement agency, installing a
wireless computer network that covers the entire airport, increasing the
size and number of corporate and general aviation hangars, being selected as
the Transportation Security Administration pilot program security model for
category IV airports, and overseeing the airport's first airshow in 12 years
featuring the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.

"Terry Anderson has been instrumental in the long-term success of Tupelo
Regional Airport," said Rusty Chapman, manager of the airports division of
the FAA Southern Region. "His tenure has been marked by sustained growth and
excellence. His tireless leadership serves as an inspiration to aviation
professional throughout the nation."

In addition to his executive director's duties, Anderson has served as the
president of the Mississippi Airports Association last year, was selected to
participate in a newly formed Multi-Modal Board to advise the Mississippi
Department of Transportation on critical transportation issues and has
testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
Subcommittees on Aviation regarding security at small airports.

To earn the award, Anderson competed with other executives from air carrier
airports in eight Southeastern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.


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