Dan Mann Named Executive Director of Columbia Metropolitan Airport
December 17, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – December 16, 2009 – Dan Mann, AAE, has been named Executive Director of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, effective February 1, 2010. Mann, who has been Director of the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids since 2005, replaces Mike Flack, who will retire on January 8, 2010.
We’re tremendously excited to have Dan and his family as part of the airport family and the communities we serve, said Larry Koester, Chairman of the Richland-Lexington Airport Commission. He brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and leadership to the job. We feel the airport is well positioned to deal with the dynamics of the travel industry and the economy in the years ahead.
Dan has a track record of community outreach, air service development and budget preparation, said Elsie Rast Stuart, Vice Chairman of the commission. In addition, he has demonstrated a strong ability to communicate with federal and state legislators, aviation officials, and local public and business leaders.
Mann has more than 15 years of experience in the management of airport operations, finance and marketing. Prior to becoming Director of the Eastern Iowa Airport, he was Manager of the Natrona County International Airport in Casper, Wyoming, for eight years.
In Iowa, he managed an airport slightly smaller than the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Cedar Rapids serves 990,000 passengers each year, as opposed to 1.2 million in Columbia. The Iowa airport achieved increases in traffic count for three consecutive years on his watch.
In addition, he developed a strategic plan that helped the airport realize more than $500,000 in cost savings annually, and he led the implementation of a $70-million capital improvement plan.
Mann is a member of the Board of Examiners for the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Board of Directors of the Iowa Public Airports Association. He has served as President of the Northwest Chapter of AAAE, State Representative of the Great Lakes Chapter of AAAE, and President of the Wyoming Airport Operators Association.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, he is a licensed pilot and served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force for five years.
The Columbia Metropolitan Airport was assisted in the search for its new Executive Director by the Florida-based ADK Executive Search firm, which specializes exclusively in consulting services for airport management positions.
