The Lincoln Airport Authority board named a former board member and airport executive as the airport’s interim director Thursday.
Robert Selig, who served on the board from 2017 to 2021, was appointed during the board’s regular meeting. Selig had been retired before taking on the role.
“I’m happy to serve the Airport Authority again in this role and use what experience I have to help out the staff,” Selig said, adding the staff at the airport wouldn’t need much help.
Selig’s appointment follows the resignation of David Haring, who took a job as the new director of the Spokane International Airport in Washington.
Prior to serving on the Lincoln board, Selig had been the CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority in Lansing, Michigan, from 2002 to 2016, according to his LinkedIn page.
Selig had also been the executive director of the Hall County Airport Authority in Grand Island from 1997 to 1999. Selig is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force as well.
The board ratified a six-month contract where Selig will be paid $3,000 per month. He said those costs were to cover expenses like travel. The search process for a new executive director is expected to take less than six months.
During a previous board meeting, an executive search firm said interviews for the position could start as early as November.
In bidding Haring farewell at his final meeting, Nicki Behmer Popp, a member of the board, said Haring showed up for Lincoln.
“We put the community first, I think, and there were really tough times and you did it all with dignity and grace,” Behmer Popp said. “And that’s going to be hard to replace.”
At Haring’s final meeting as director Thursday, he invited Juan Breucop and Mike Rodriguez, the founders of Innovative Exhaust Solutions Inc., or inExhaust, to talk about the company’s success story and connection to the airport.
Breucop said he and Rodriguez were employees of IAC Acoustics when the company closed in 2015. They decided to start a business doing what IAC Acoustics did, manufacturing silencer and exhaust systems.
They started small, manufacturing products in Breucop’s garage.
The company didn’t get many orders at first, but when a bank gave them a loan for a third of what they asked for they went to the airport and Haring.
Haring was prepared to lease them a different building, but Breucop and Rodriguez requested the former GT building, the predecessor of IAC Acoustics.
After initially leasing a fourth of that building, the company grew order by order and now occupies the entire building.
Now, inExhaust plans to expand to a new 32-acre property, Breucop said, leaving the Lincoln Airport for a larger space as it continues to grow.
“We knew we were going to be losing a tenant, but there was such a pride that the airport had a hand in that and so I couldn’t think of a better way to end my time here,” Haring said Thursday.
Haring has overseen the airport for 14 years through fluctuating air service and development projects like the airport’s terminal.
He said the airport team and the growth of projects and companies are what he was most proud of during his tenure.
Breucop said the company wouldn’t have succeeded without the support of a few people like Haring and organizations like the bank.
“Thank you for giving us one opportunity, one chance and your support,” Breucop said. “Honestly, if more people in this community have your vision and commitment, small companies would be thriving.”
Reach the writer at nfranklin@journalstar.com or 402-473-7391.
On Twitter @NealHFranklin
Love
0
Funny
0
Wow
0
Sad
0
Angry
0
The business news you need
Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Neal Franklin
Business reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today