"Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport staff turnover causes concern"

Sunday, July 3, 2005

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport turnover causes concern
Top positions vacant while officials sort out runway expansion plan
By Scott Wyman 
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel


An exodus among upper echelon administrators at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
International Airport has been under way for the past six months as the
airport transformed from one of the nation's most convenient into the most
delay-prone.

The airport's directors of long-range planning, finance and security have
resigned or retired since January as have a senior airport planner and the
aviation director's assistant who was the agency point person on the
environmental study of a second major runway. Both deputy director posts are
vacant as are those of environmental manager and expansion plan coordinator.

Business executives and proponents of the airport's expansion are alarmed.
They fear years of wrangling over the second runway has left the airport in
turmoil and wonder if the staff has the wherewithal to proceed with the
expansion and deal with the overwhelming congestion.

"It's obvious there has been a brain drain at the airport," said Randy
Dunlap, who represented Fort Lauderdale on the airport's advisory board
until this year. "There is a void and that will slow the process even more."

Aviation Director Tom Jargiello said the turnover in the Aviation Department
is not out of line with the rest of county government, but he acknowledged
that many of the losses have been among his top staff. He and County
Administrator Roger Desjarlais said planning for the runway and other major
projects is on schedule.

"It does put more pressure on everybody, and we need to get them filled as
quickly as possible," Jargiello said.

Delays at the airport skyrocketed over the past year as the number of
flights grew faster than planners imagined, making it the most delay-prone
airport in the country during this spring's busy tourist season. The problem
has come as county officials continue to haggle over lengthening the south
runway to accommodate major commercial jets.

One of the two deputy positions has been open since Jargiello moved up to
replace former director Bill Sherry in 2003, while the other became vacant
last fall. Jargiello said he searched for someone to fill his old job, but
came up with no candidate he liked. A new search for both jobs is now
underway.

Some of the departures have been key people in the planning process.

Diana Lewis oversaw expansion plans before she quit as planning director.
Jargiello's $82,000-a-year assistant, David Bjorneboe, coordinated the
environmental study for the second runway before his departure.

Jargiello said he is advertising to replace Lewis and has assigned a new
planner to deal with the environmental study. Only one other county agency
has seen the level of turnover at its top level that the airport has.
Desjarlais fired Port Everglades' director, deputy director and one of the
agency's four division heads in April. The Community Services Department
that oversees the mass transit, parks, consumer affairs, cultural affairs,
animal control and library agencies has not had any turnover among its
senior management. It has 2,500 employees compared with the 400 at the
airport.

George Platt, an influential lobbyist who is co-chairman of the Broward
Workshop's airport taskforce, has met with county officials to discuss the
airport turnover. Christopher Pollock, president of the Greater Fort
Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, said he had not been aware of the full
extent of the turnover and wants assurances that the airport planning won't
suffer.

Desjarlais, who is retiring in September, said there likely has been angst
among the airport staff, but doesn't see a major problem. "For those who
think it is slowing down the process, that is not accurate," he said.

Attached Photo:

Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport

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