(Above) Vermilion Regional Airport Authority Board of Commissioners: Steve Foster, Craig Davidson, Chairman Jonathan Myers, Gardner Peck, and Joe Vincent.
After about four hours in closed session, the Vermilion Regional Airport Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to suspend airport director Alex Gale for 45 days with pay, contingent upon meeting the requirements of the suspension.
The meeting, which began at 10 AM Friday, September 30th; brought about an overflow of people showing support for Gale. While many of the supporters stuck around for the first couple hours of closed session, many eventually had to leave for other commitments. A handful of people remained when the meeting room was reopened around 2:30 PM.
Vermilion Regional Airport Director Alex Gale (second picture, center) heard many positive testimonials for her work as airport director and within the community, including Vermilion Advantage Chamber Director Nicole Van Hyfte.
Former Experimental Aircraft Association president Rod Hightower, out of St Louis, had been in attendance at the meeting as a consultant of the Board of Commissioners, and was installed as interim airport president immediately after the suspension of Gale was made official.
Hightower stated that issues of concern would not be debated by he nor the Board of Commissioners in public, and stated that a press release would be coming soon.
The press release about an hour later stated that “actions taken by the Vermilion County Regional Airport Authority are based upon a series of events during Ms. Gales’ 21 month tenure as Manager of the Vermilion County Regional Airport.”