Following a three-hour executive session, the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority unanimously accepted the resignation from employment, by retirement, of Executive Director George Doughty, effective May 31, 2011. They accepted his resignation as Executive Director immediately, but will continue to furnish services as directed. Lawrence Krauter, who currently serves as the Chair of Bethlehem's Planning Commission, was unanimously appointed Interim Executive Director.Krauter also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Aviation Council.
Updated 5:45 PM: For the back story and more detail, check out Matt Assad (Morning Call) and Lynn Olanoff (Express Times). The Board is unhappy because of an unpaid $24 million judgment as well the declining business. During the three hours I spent in a hallway with reporters, we all could see the security staff sitting around, doing nothing.
23 comments:
So how will they pay the $25 million judgment and who were the solicitors that ran up a $2 million bill while losing this case?
Couldn't this have been settled long ago for less?
krauter's a good call.
Boy Bernie
You sure called this one.
"krauter's a good call."
Agreed. He's very impressive as the Chair of Bethlehem's Planning Comm'n.
"You sure called this one."
Just a good tip.
Meh. These directors that hang around endlessly just lose their edge. It was time to go anyway.
Krauter pulled off a Palace coup, good for him. The King is dead, long live the King!
about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh goodie. now we get politically appointed lackeys on the board to do the 2 county clowns bidding. fools that don't know an airplane from a bike.but they bow down to donny boy who is crooked as a creek and stoffa who isn't quite sure if we have an airport or not. can't we get callahan involved so we can lose even more money?
Why is Doughty responsible for the judgement. The Board voted back then to take the action that led to judgement. Why are they not being called on the carpet. This is purely a political move. Simple truth. Doughty did nothing wrong, period. The airport is failing because of the change in market and overall economy. I guarantee that no Director will be able to make ABE some sort of subregional hub. Call a spade a spade, Stoffa and Cunningham did not like Doughty and wanted him gone. Thats it. Pretty simple. Mike Smith.
Stoffa and Cunningham making managerial decisions is like watching a Three Stooges episode. Fiscal retards, both.
I like the way Krauter played a "pawlowski" on Doughty. Pawlowski kept saying yes my Lord that is a good policy to Roy Afflerbach then ran as some form of anti-Afflerbach??
Krauter know as Doughty's toady for years pulled the same stunt.
Sold his boss down the river to Stoffa and Cunningham all the while telling Doughty, yes my Lord you are right.
Ya got to love this insider bullshit.
The 19-member Board of Governors at LVIA was formerly packed with people who did Daughty's bdding. They had buffets at every meeting and who knows what other perks.
They certainly are co-conspirators in the mismanagement caused by Daughty. But Cunningham and Stoffa decided to change that and began nominating people who would dare to ask questions. Those nominees were confirmed by the legislatures in both counties.
People like David Haines want a better managed airport and Doughty's dismissal is an important step in that direction.
I've seen Krauter on the Planning Comm's, where he is transparent and very thorough. I believe he'll be an excellent Interim Exec Director and hope he is considered as a permanent replacement.
If LVIA is not being used by enough travelers, the reason could be that you can't go from there to places like Pittsburgh. Years ago, I could drive ten minutes to ABE airport, have a hassle-free check-in, get on a plane to Pittsburgh and be there 45 minutes later. Now they want you to go to philly or Newark, horrible drives and horrible airports compared to this comfy little local one, or, fly from LVIA to someplace like Cincinnati or even further away, and then wait a few hours, and then fly to Pittsburg. Sad story is, the bus trip is actually faster and more pleasant, and I have not used our lovely little local airport in years. I wonder whether others have had the same problems in getting where they want to go, and so do not use the local airport at all? Sad. Not sure it is Doughty's fault...the airlines have been treating passengers like cattle for years.
I vote for Don Cunningham as the new Airport Director.
anon 12:46
wouldn't even make a good dog catcher. sleeze in a suit
Who the hell comments at 3:43 AM?
John Stoffa and Don Cunningham have no clue on how to run an airport. LVIA is a regional airport and as such have regional jets. These two executives’ egos got in the way of sound reasoning. The LVIA will never be an airport that competes with Philly, Newark or the two New York Airports. The surrounding communities don’t need LVIA to expand. The notion that LVIA can attract Fortune 500 companies is as ludicrous as believing that the Airport was wrong in the $25M lawsuit. Bernie, get a hold of the Federal Court documents and do your own analysis. The idiots here are the county executives, not George!
George has been good for the airport. Larry will do a great job and if the idiots on the Board of Governors have a half a brain they’ll look no further than him to fill the vacancy. But they’ll take the position that they need to do a nationwide search, waste more funds and then appoint Larry. Do yourselves a favor, appoint Larry quickly and get him a good deputy.
"Years ago, I could drive ten minutes to ABE airport, have a hassle-free check-in, get on a plane to Pittsburgh and be there 45 minutes later."
This is so true. It use to be fun just to go out to the airport and watch the planes. Now trying to figure out parking is a nightmare.
"John Stoffa and Don Cunningham have no clue on how to run an airport. LVIA is a regional airport and as such have regional jets."
That's true, but they know how to read. They read reports telling them that Atlantic City has 30% more traffic. They read reports stating Harrisburg has 40% more traffic. They read reports about a $1 MM unpaid Hooters fuel bill. They read reports about Daughty's failure to attract real aitrlines. They rewad reports about a big judgment growing larger every day qwith an Authority that lacks the funds to pay it. They read reports telling them the FAA will not contribute to that folly. They see a board packed with Daughty cronies.
So they've been getting rid of the cronies and have started installing people who will make the airport run more efficiently.
The best way to fly out of the valley is take the 1hour drive on 78 east to newark liberty airport I use it for all my flights alot less hassles.
One long-past his prime director out. Now the counties should work on getting Kaiser out of the planning commission.
"is as ludicrous as believing that the Airport was wrong in the $25M lawsuit"
um, you generally don't get a 25 MILLION DOLLAR verdict awarded againstt you, unless you did something wrong, einstein.
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