Delta Veteran Joins Airport Staff

Tom Slocum, a former Delta Air Lines Senior Vice President and head of corporate communications (and recent retiree), has joined the airport staff on a part-time, temporary basis to support communications work at the airport, according to a press release issued by the airport.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet Tom and spend some time with him – and he’s going to be a very positive addition to the airport team.

Tom retired from Delta a few years ago, and has been enjoying spending a lot of time at his house on St. George Island in Franklin County. He’s going to spend a couple of days a week for the next six months or so helping airport Executive Director Randy Curtis keep the community informed about the airport relocation project.

Here’s what Randy said yesterday in the press release:

“As we get closer to groundbreaking for the new Panama City – Bay County International Airport, our communications needs get larger and more urgent. Tom Slocum will provide us with needed help to provide the public with information regarding our progress. He will concentrate on issues and events surrounding the final authorization of the airport relocation and its initial construction, as well as on other airport-related activities.”

I can tell you this: Tom knows his stuff when it comes to airports and the airline industry. He spent 11 years in charge of communications for Delta where he reported directly to the CEO. (Several different CEOs, in fact! He survived a lot of changes at the airline.)

Tom told me he has a selfish motive for helping with the relocation project: He wants to see better air service and more competitive fares in Panama City so his kids and grandkids can come visit more often. There are a lot of people in Bay County who can relate to that.

As we move into the new year, I get the sense that things at the airport are beginning to shift into a higher gear. The planning and permitting phase is nearly completed, and we are quickly moving closer to the construction phase. It looks like 2007 is going to be a busy year.