The City of Columbia confirmed Mike Parks as the new permanent manager of Columbia Regional Airport.
Parks had been the acting manager of the airport since December, but the City confirmed his appointment on Wednesday.
Parks has worked for Columbia Airport since 2001 when he was hired as an airport safety officer. In 2010, he was promoted to airport operations supervisor and in December 2016 he was assigned as the acting airport manager.
In his role, Parks will oversee the entire operations of the airport, from daily business to long term projects.
Columbia Airport has plans to lengthen its runway by a thousand feet and is in the process of seeking funding for the potential construction of a new terminal.
Director of Economic Development at the airport, Stacey Button, said Parks was the right man to move the airport forward.
"With 16 years of experience at Columbia Regional and a quiet but steady leadership style, Mike and his team will lead COU into the future, working on projects such as the new terminal project,” she said.
Parks was selected ahead of others after a competitive recruitment process. Steven Sapp, the Community Relations Director for Columbia Airport, said Parks was the best choice.
“His experience with the airport, his demeanor, his way of team building with current airport personnel and his willingness to learn new things really set Mike apart,” Sapp said.
Since the start of the year, Columbia Regional Airport has seen record numbers of passengers, as well as record levels of traffic. These records are set to continue with the arrival of United Airlines flights in August, which will include new services to Denver.