"Report: Naples Airport executive cleared of wrongdoing"

Monday, August 20, 2007

Report: Airport executive cleared of wrongdoing
By John Henderson 
The Naples (FL) Daily News


Naples Airport Authority Executive Director Ted Soliday did not misuse his
official position or violate security procedures at Naples Municipal
Airport, an investigation has concluded.

Former state Rep. Dudley Goodlette's investigation exonerates Soliday of
these allegations, which were raised in a list of questions by Naples City
Council member Bill Willkomm.

On June 12, the allegations were contained in a list of eight questions that
Willkomm passed to his fellow City Council members that he wanted the
Airport Authority to answer.

In response, the Airport Authority decided to hire someone with no ties to
the airport to investigate the claims. Goodlette, a lawyer, was chosen.

"I'm very happy," Soliday said Monday of Goodlette's conclusions.

"I've known right from the start that these (incidents) did not happen."

But Willkomm said he is convinced that the allegations made by a Delta
Atlantic Southeast Airlines employee are accurate, and said Monday that he
would like Soliday and Authority Chairman Ernest Linneman to resign.

"I respect Mr. Goodlette's opinion, but I do not know how he arrived at his
conclusions," Willkomm said. "Frankly, I think his conclusions are
unsubstantiated."

Willkomm asked the authority to answer whether Soliday was able to have an
airport or airline personnel member transport a knife for him around airport
security screening. "If so, please explain," Willkomm wrote.

Willkomm also asked Soliday to explain the circumstances surrounding what
Willkomm said involved two incidents at a Delta Atlantic Southeast Airlines'
ticket counter earlier this year, one in Naples and Tallahassee.

Willkomm's backup material handed out to the council included what appeared
to be official airline documents that states how Soliday was "threatening"
to Delta employees, who in turn gave him thousands of free Delta SkyMiles.

"Did Mr. Soliday pay for these tickets?" Willkomm wrote.

Goodlette's investigation concluded that Soliday was issued the free
SkyMiles, but without his knowledge or consent.

Goodlette also alleges that Delta employee Michael Keller entered 10,000
SkyMiles to Soliday under the computer entry number of a fellow ticket agent
at the ASA station in Naples.

But Keller said Monday that this is blatantly false. He also said that
Soliday was very aware of the SkyMiles being given to him. He said Soliday
was livid about being put on standby in Tallahassee after he showed up late
for a flight. Keller said later, when he was working the ticket counter in
Naples, Soliday confronted him.

"He came up said, 'I'm Ted Soliday, the executive director of the Naples
Airport Authority, and I didn't appreciate the way I was treated in
Tallahassee,' " Keller said.

"There were 14 people standing in line that night, and he cut in front of
all the people standing in line, and raising a stink because of the being
placed on standby."

Keller said he initially offered Soliday 2,000 free flight miles, but
Soliday wanted more.

"He said, 'No, I want maximum compensation,'" Keller said. "I said, 'Mr.
Soliday, I can give you 10,000 (free flight) miles.' I told my manager the
next morning what had taken place, and gave her documentation."

Keller, who has hired Naples lawyer Tom Trettis to represent him in this
case, said he was reprimanded by Delta for releasing the information about
the incidents to Naples Airport Authority commissioner Jim Lennane.

Keller said authority officials have changed the locks at the commercial
terminal, and won't give him the combination to go return to work.

Soliday said this occurred after Keller's supervisor had issues with Keller
on Saturday and asked the authority for help.

"She (Keller's supervisor) told him not to return until he contacted the
human resources people," Soliday said. "This has nothing to do with staff or
with me. I'm only there as director of operations."

Goodlette's report states that Soliday did have a pocket knife with him as
he was getting ready to board a flight out of the airport. But Goodlette
stated that by passing the knife to an authority employee, Soliday was
trying to ensure strict compliance with the Transportation Safety
Administration regulations.

Keller said he saw Soliday hand a knife to an authority line technician, who
put it in his pocket and walked out the back door of the commercial
terminal.

"He (the line technician) walked out onto the tarmac where the plane was,"
Keller said.

Keller said he did not see this employee hand the knife back to Soliday
before he boarded the jet, but that could have easily happened.

Willkomm said he has a lot of reasons to believe Keller's version of what
happened.

"I'm very confused about Mr. Goodlette's report," Willkomm said.

But Mayor Bill Barnett said it's time to drop this issue, and Goodlette's
investigation carries a lot of credibility. He said he takes what
Goodlette's report says at face value.

"I think Dudley Goodlette did what he was asked to do, and did it
professionally," Barnett said.

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