NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission appointed interim Airport Manager Bruce Goff as the permanent manager.

 

The commission unanimously voted Tuesday to appoint Goff, ending a long search process that has seen different management structures and interim managers moving between shuffling city administrative officers.

 

"I have the utmost confidence that you will do the best job you can, and I appreciate your willingness to do it," Chairman Dan Caplinger said.

 

Longtime manager Willard "Bill" Greenwald stepped down some five years ago but was brought back in 2018 under a new structure in which then-city Administrative Officer Michael Canales handled some of the more administrative duties.

 

The position was part time and stipended. 

 

Greenwald stepped down again in 2021 leaving the position fully in the hands of then-Administrative Officer Angie Ellison who eventually left her position in 2022. 

 

At this point, the commission appointed Katherine Eade as the interim manager.

 

During this time, the commission did hold interviews for a permanent manager which Goff was a part of. But the commission ultimately agreed to hold off as members wanted to re-evaluate the position and job description.

 

Eade later became the new administrative officer making way for Goff as interim manager in December 2022.

 

"Man, it has been varied, and the tasks I have had to deal with have all been a little different," Goff said. "It has been a learning experience, but we have handled everything just fine."

 

Commissioners Dean Bullett and Marc Morandi sat on a committee that interviewed Goff and another finalist who pulled out of contention.

 

The commission had only a few questions for Goff, who said he already has dealt with closing the airport because of weather, with a flipped plane, and with a runway covered in 90 percent ice. 

 

"It is what I was hoping it would be, and I would like to continue," Goff said. "I enjoy it."

 

Goff noted there have been incidents when he has not been at the airport but things have gone well with such a tight-knit community there.

 

He said he was called about landing charter plane so was able to collect a fee even though he was not physically at the airport. More seriously, Goff was unable to field a call from the Federal Aviation Administration in regard to an emergency locator transponder that was triggered at the airport.

 

These alerts can be triggered when a plane goes down or "lands hard," said Goff.

 

Goff said he asked airport user Brain Doyle to canvas the airport and follow up with the FAA.

 

Thankfully, there were no emergencies and the alert may have been false or from a transient plane. Either way, Goff said he was happy to be able to rely on airport users when he was not on site.

 

The commissioners said they were happy with Goff's work so far. Morandi said he was glad to approve the appointment.

 

"Just seeing what he has done, it is as good as I hoped it would be when we recommended him way back then," he said. "so I am pleased."

 

Caplinger did ask that Goff make sure to take the airport manager test that although should be easy for a pilot, is something he wanted to avoid falling through the cracks.

 

"I think they want you to get that cranked out. As long as we don't get in trouble with compliance I don't think we will have issues," he said. "I just know with these sorts of things you get busy with the real job and sometimes it just flies out of your head." 

 

Goff added that he felt well supported by the commission and has no problem letting concerns be known.

 

The commission will negotiate final terms with Goff at a later date.