Schmidt tapped to lead Collier Airport Authority

The commission, in a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Tom Henning dissenting, endorsed an employment contract with Gene Schmidt that calls for him to earn $25,000 a year more than he was making to operate three airports on county-owned land.

Schmidt's annual salary would increase from $60,000 to $85,000 a year for the job of overseeing the operations of Marco Island Executive Airport, Immokalee Regional Airport and Everglades City Airpark.

"I'll vote against giving anyone a 40 percent raise," said Henning, who at Tuesday's commission meeting asked that the contract proposal be pulled from the consent agenda and put on the regular one. "Mr. Schmidt is a nice guy, a likable guy. I always enjoy sitting down with him in the office. But just on principle, I'm not going to give anybody a 40 percent raise."

But authority Chairman Dennis Vasey said that the authority was getting a real bargain. He said Schmidt, unlike his predecessors, is not asking for any county benefits, because his benefits have been secured through his retirement from an airline career.

Schmidt spent his professional career with Northwest Airlines, including various positions as chief engineer, pilot instructor, check airman and test pilot. He retired in 1988 at the mandatory retirement age for a Boeing 747 captain.

Vasey pointed out to commissioners that former Executive Director John Drury, who stepped down in August 2002, was earning $130,000 a year in salary and benefits. Vasey also pointed out that the interim executive director after him, Bob Tweedie, was making $90,000 a year when salary and benefits were combined.

Schmidt a few months ago agreed to take the job on an interim basis. He has been an "at will" employee working on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis with no formal employment contract -- until now. Airport Authority members have said they have been impressed with the job he has done thus far.

Schmidt, who has been a Naples resident since 1979, also has served as the past president of the Naples Pilots Association. He is also a former chairman of the Naples Airport Authority.

Schmidt took over the helm at a time when the Airport Authority was fighting for its very existence. County commissioners over the last year have been highly critical of the fact that the Airport Authority has not paid back a dime of the more than 10 million in tax dollars that have been loaned to the authority over the last decade to balance its budget. Some commissioners had talked of selling airports off, disbanding the authority or merging it with another airport authority.

But the authority's existence seems to be secure at least for this year, as the County Commission has approved its budget.

"We, in fact, brought on Mr. Schmidt simply because we needed leadership, and to this date Mr. Schmidt has brought us the strategic business plan," Vasey told commissioners. "He has brought us an airport that is functioning. ... It would be very difficult to buy this type of experience for the dollars that we are offering and under the agreement that we've structured."

The contract itself does not give Schmidt a guaranteed long-term agreement. Schmidt would have to step down without severance pay if another executive director is hired. In fact, the authority has agreed that a national search process for an executive director will begin no later than Feb. 1, 2004. Schmidt could apply like anyone else.

Authority members had previously debated whether to do this search at all. Some felt it was not needed because Schmidt had done such a good job; others felt that it should be done to satisfy county officials.

Authority member Steve Price was among those who felt it was best to do the national search.

"I think the authority is still looking to the County Commission to authorize us to get a permanent executive director, and I think this (contract) just recognizes the fact that Gene is not going to be as short-term as originally thought. Therefore, we need to be realistic about the compensation (Schmidt is paid). Our plan still is that by the first of the year, we'll begin a search to begin looking for a permanent executive director."

Under existing laws, the authority was not required to get the endorsement of the County Commission to hire an executive director. County Manager Jim Mudd in February asked the authority to delay hiring an executive director as county leaders pondered the authority's future. The authority obliged.

Commissioner Donna Fiala said the lines of communication between the commission and authority have recently improved under Schmidt.

"I think we've had more communication with the Airport Authority since Mr. Schmidt took over than we've had in years," she said. "So, I feel, he has really fostered good communication between the two, and I really appreciate that."

Commissioner Frank Halas, who also had words of praise for Schmidt, said he would like language inserted in the contract that Schmidt would have to step down if the county decides to disband the authority.

Vasey said the contract is worded that way.

"If your decision tomorrow or today was to dissolve the Airport Authority, Mr. Schmidt would be noticed of that, and under this agreement, as soon as that dissolution took place, and at your direction, he would be removed," Vasey said.