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The Airport
Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) is a full-service commercialairport serving Northeast Tennessee, SouthwestVirginia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Kentucky.The Airport offers nonstop flights to four hubs (Atlanta,Charlotte, Orlando and Tampa/Clearwater-St.Petersburg) on Allegiant, American, and Delta.
TRI is centrally located between the cities of Bristol,Kingsport and Johnson City, Tennessee, just 3 miles offInterstate 81. The Airport’s concourse provides comfortand convenience for travelers with seven spaciousgates, restaurant, bar, gift shop, business center andfree Wi-Fi.
The Airport’s property covers approximately 1,260acres, including an 119,000-sq-ft.-terminal and a fixedbase operator, corporate hangars, FAA air traffic controltower, and TRI Aerospace Park with an Air CargoLogistics Center. The Tri-Cities Air Cargo LogisticsCenter houses U.S. Customs Port No. 2027 andForeign-Trade Zone No. 204. These departmentsfacilitate cargo transportation and serve as a componentof the Airport’s economic development resources forcities, counties, and economic development boardsregarding regional trade and logistics.
The Tri-Cities Airport Authority is governed by a 12-person board, appointed by the Cities of Kingsport,Bristol, Johnson City, TN and Bristol, VA; Washingtonand Sullivan Counties, TN. Full board meetings are heldbi-monthly with committee meetings held bi-monthly.
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The Airport (continued...)
The Airport Authority and staff are responsible forsupporting the movement of people and goods inthe region, promoting business development,maintaining facilities and grounds, negotiatingcontracts with vendors and business operators,complying with federal safety and securitymandates, planning, budgeting and guiding theAirport’s development from year-to-year.
TRI's FY 2018 operating budget is nearly $7 million.Significant operators at the airport include Tri-CityAviation (FBO), Wysong, Air2, Eastman ChemicalCompany, Contura Energy and PHI. Enplanementsfor year 2017 were 193,068 and operations totalapproximately 36,000 annually. Significant capitalprojects underway include terminal access roadwayimprovements, public parking lot improvements,general aviation expansion and rehabilitation andsouth apron site development. The airport operateswith a staff of 63 employees.
Recently TRI has embarked on a partnershipbetween the Tri-Cities Airport Authority, JohnsonCity, Kingsport, Bristol, Washington County, SullivanCounty, Tennessee Department of Economic andCommunity Development, Tennessee Department ofTransportation – Aeronautics Division, and theTennessee Valley Authority to create the TRIAerospace Park. The goal of the 160-acredevelopment is to expand the existing cluster ofaerospace companies in Northeast Tennessee,create high quality jobs, and increase economicactivity for the region. It is estimated this on-airportsite can accommodate up to 2,000 aerospacerelated jobs when fully occupied and the resultingprivate investment is projected to exceed $400million. Aerospace Park has been identified as oneof the top economic development initiatives in theregion.
We encourage you to view the 3-minute video thathighlights the exciting regional economicdevelopment initiative, Aerospace Park, which issponsored and led by the Tri-Cities Airport at this link.
About the Tri-Cities Region
Tri-Cities Airport is centrally located between threeurban hubs including Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia;Johnson City, Tennessee; and Kingsport,Tennessee. Each of these communities has its ownunique voice boasting business, tourism attractions,and industrial development.
Connecting the Tri-Cities are two major interstates,I-26 and I-81, which create an unparalleled ease ofaccess for commuters and travelers alike. Justminutes separate each of these cities from theother, and just a few more miles down the road areour region’s neighbors: Erwin, Elizabethton,Greeneville and Roan Mountain, TN; Abingdon, VA;and Boone, Banner Elk and Blowing Rock, NC.
With the Tri-Cities’ low cost of living, it is possible totravel, explore the region, and plan weekendadventures, all without breaking the bank.
O u t d o o r R e c r e a t i o n :
Northeast Tennessee is an outdoor enthusiast’sparadise with world class hiking, fishing,watersports, biking and more. Some of the very bestfly-fishing in the country is just minutes away fromTri-Cities Airport on the South Holston River and theworld-famous Appalachian Trail crawls through themountains of our home, gracefully winding itself bysome of our most scenic vistas. Any nature-lover willfind themselves immediately at home amongst ourbreathtaking scenery, whether they enjoy the rigorsof mountain climbing, or a just a leisurely drive.
With four nearby lakes (Boone Lake, Patrick HenryLake, South Holston Lake and Watauga Lake),watersports are accessible, and affordable in theTri-Cities. Numerous marinas on each lake offerequipment and boat rentals or boat storage forthose who are passionate about their time on thewater. From jet skiing, to wakeboarding, to relaxingsunset cruises, you can get on the water and cooldown on warm summer days.
The Tri-Cities area is also home to numerous parks,each with its own unique characteristics. BaysMountain Park in Kingsport boasts hiking andmountain biking trails, a planetarium and animalhabitats. Kingsport is also home to Warriors’ PathState Park offering camping, swimming, boating,fishing and more. Additionally, you can explore thegreenspace of Founder’s Park in downtownJohnson City or the trails of Steele Creek Park inBristol, TN. (continued...)
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About the Tri-Cities (continued...)
A r t s , C u l t u r e & F o o d :
The Tri-Cities are home to a vibrant music, arts andculture scene. As the “Birthplace of Country Music,”where the Carter family recorded the 1927 BristolSessions, Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia has brandeditself as a major destination for music lovers of allages. Now, to commemorate this history, theBirthplace of Country Music museum, a Smithsonianaffiliate, serves as an educational tool and popular
tourist attraction. Add to that the BristolRhythm & Roots music festival, which
welcomes nearly 50,000 guests everySeptember, and Bristol is a destinationfor music entertainment. Bristol is alsohome to Bristol Motor Speedway,
nicknamed “The World’s Fastest HalfMile”. The track is a favorite among
NASCAR fans as they are welcomed throughoutthe region every spring and summer.
Just minutes North of Bristol, along I-81, historicAbingdon, Virginia brings another welcome culturalattraction to the Tri-Cities. The nation’s longestrunning professional theatre, Barter Theatre, hasmade its home in Abingdon since 1933. Step back intime and enjoy a tall tale or two at the InternationalStorytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee(Tennessee’s oldest town). If you dig old things,nearby in Gray, Tennessee you can see fossils fromanimals and plants that lives approximately fivemillion years ago. The Hands On! Discovery Centerand Gray Fossil Site offer interactive displays for allages and is an active archeological dig site.
Food and drink are another staple of the Tri-Cities.With a focus on local, farm to table cuisine, each ofthe Tri-Cities has its own unique gastro scene.Many of the restaurants in the area have beennominated for or won awards for their uniqueapproach to southern cuisine, their inspiring use oflocal ingredients or their inventive combinations ofinternational flavors.
With nearly a dozen local breweries, four wineries,three moonshine distilleries and now a vodkadistillery, the Tri-Cities area is still living up to itsreputation as “Little Chicago” which it earned duringprohibition for its ties to bootlegging. Today, you cantake advantage of this vibrant history by participatingin the “Brewly Noted” beer trail which incorporatesmany of the Tri-Cities breweries. (continued...)
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About the Tri-Cities (continued...)
W h y E v e r y b o d y L o v e s t h e a r e a :
• In 2018, both Abingdon and Johnson City werenamed top adventure towns by Blue RidgeOutdoors.
• Bristol’s State Street, where Tennessee and Virginiameet, was named one of 2018’s fifteen GreatPlaces in America by the American PlanningAssociation.
• Abingdon was named one of USA Today’s Ten BestSmall Town Food Scenes in 2018.
E m p l o y e r s , S c h o o l s & H e a l t h :
Several major employers have centers of operationwithin the Tri-Cities including Eastman, Bell (formerlyBell Helicopter), BAE Systems, Universal Fibers andBallad Health. All told, the top ten employers in theTri-Cities, provide 10,000 jobs with boundlessopportunities for expansion.
For parents, the Tri-Cities area offers fantastic localschool systems with small class sizes. In 2018, Bristoland Kingsport City Schools were ranked as the fourthbest school system in the nation for teachers.Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport is one ofthe top twenty high schools in the state of Tennessee.Several private and Christian-affiliated schools arealso available throughout the Tri-Cities.
East Tennessee State University with a population ofover 14,000 students is located in Johnson City.
Thanks to one of the Tri-Cities largest employers,Ballad Health, the region offers exceptional medicalcare including a highly recognized cardiac center.Ballad Health is an integrated healthcare systemserving 29 counties in Northeast Tennessee,Southwest Virginia, Northwest North Carolina andSoutheast Kentucky. They operate a family of 21hospitals which include three tertiary medical centers,a dedicated children’s hospital, community hospitals,three critical access hospitals, long-term carefacilities, and home care and hospice services.James H. Quillen VA Medical Center is an activetertiary care facility in Johnson City.
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I m p o r t a n t L i n k s :
Tri-Cities Airport
Northeast Tennessee - America’s First Frontier
Bristol Tennessee - Birthplace of Country Music
Kingsport Tennessee
Johnson City Tennessee - Tennessee’s Green City
Bristol Virginia
The Position
The Executive Director reports to the Airport AuthorityBoard and is responsible for general administrativeleadership of all Airport employees with directsupervision over the executive management team of theAuthority.
Supervisory Duties & Responsibilities
A. Design and Implement the strategic development of theairport with coordination of goals and policies with theAirport Authority.
B. Maintain a strong collaborative working relationship withthe Board of Commissioners, assist the Board in itspolicy-making duties by providing relevant information;share activities, opportunities, and risk to include optionsand potential consequences; and enable the Board andits Committees to make well informed decisions.
C. Plan, direct, and ensure a safe, secure, customer-friendlyand efficient airport.
D. Provide clear guidance and direction to the Authority’sstaff, integrating and coordinating all departments toensure a collaborative work environment that achievesthe Authority’s strategic vision and mission.
E. Development and management of airside and landsidefacilities and services. Actively solicit and obtain, to thegreatest degree possible, federal, state and local grantfunds to develop and enhance the Authority’s airportfacilities and maintain facilities’ status as modern, safeand efficient.
F. Continually, creatively, and persuasively work to attractnew air service to Tri-Cities Airport and ensure new andexisting airline relationships and partnerships are well-maintained.
G. Enforce federal, state, and local rules and regulationsgoverning the Airport’s use.
H. Establish financial philosophies for stable long-termoperation and development and approve all budgets.
I. Submit requests for federal aid, security, and certificationapplications; all federal, state and local governmentapplications and forms.
J. Ensure compliance with legal aspects of airport operation.
K. Promote projects and initiatives that reflect the prioritiesand values of the region by developing strong civicpartnerships with governmental bodies, legislativerepresentatives, economic development enterprises,convention and trade bureaus, chambers of commerce,and the business community with the goal of enhancingregional economic development.
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Position Qualifications
B.S. degree in business or aviation management, ora related field. Seven years’ experience in seniormanagement of a certified air carrier airport ispreferred as is certification as an Accredited AirportExecutive of American Association of AirportExecutives or International Airport Professional ofAirports Council International. Proficiency ingovernmental entity relations and economicdevelopment initiatives is alsopreferred.
Salary &CompensationThe starting salary range for this position is$150,000 - $185,000 with an attractive benefitspackage.
How to Apply:
To apply online, click here.
Filing Deadline: Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Project Manager: Linda Frankl, AAE
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