Airport woos away official from neighboring county

PUNTA GORDA — Longtime Lee County airport official Gary Duncan is joining the operations team of a nearby airport in Charlotte County.

Duncan was recently named director of airport operations/projects at  Punta Gorda Airport, according to a statement. He will report to CEO James Parish and COO Ron Mallard, the release adds, and have oversight of PGD’s Bailey Terminal operations, facilities, FBO and airside operations. Duncan will also assist with air service development and marketing, vendor relations, grants and special projects in the position, a newly created post to “support the leadership team and the airport’s continued growth,” the release states.

Duncan was most recently the deputy executive director of aviation for the Lee County Port Authority, where he managed operations at both Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field. Duncan and been with Lee County since 2001, and was also previously the general aviation manager of the Jacksonville Port Authority. 

"In addition to his extensive aviation experience, Gary Duncan is a highly effective communicator, consensus builder, listener and speaker,” Parish says in the statement. “We are excited to welcome Gary to the team as he helps us leverage our success and implements new ways to improve efficiency, safety and customer service at PGD.” 

Punta Gorda Airport is under the Charlotte County Airport Authority. The authority has about 38 full-time employees, 43 part-time employees and 11 seasonal positions — along with $27 million capital improvement projects slated for fiscal 2021.