by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Airport Authority’s search for a Director of External Affairs has been narrowed to seven candidates with interviews being concluded today.
A newly created position, the authority has established a salary range between $74,619 and $115,929 for the external affairs job but it is unknown when an offer will be made.
Whittled down from a long list of applicants, they are:
• Ex-Jacksonville Jaguar publicist and current Winn-Dixie marketing office officer Steve Gerrish.
• Eric Green, who was an aide to former Mayor John Delaney.
• Nextel government sales manager and former Big Brothers Big Sisters executive director Mike Hancock.
• Sara Milo, a former Washington lobbyist who recently moved to this area. Milo was a staff member at Capitol Associates, a large firm which coordinates planning for various government agencies. She also was a staffer at the non-profit National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research.
• Chip Seymour, the only internal candidate. He is the assistant planning director for the Jacksonville International Airport, a division of the JAA.
• Brad Thoburn, Mayor John Peyton’s federal and state lobbyist. He held the same position in the Delaney administration.
• Dorothy Yeager, who works as a spokesperson for the Federal Elections Commission and who has interviewed for at least one other job in this area.
Four of the finalists — Yeager, Green, Garcia and Hancock — were interviewed by a committee Monday afternoon and the others will interview this afternoon. The committee includes top Peyton aide Susie Wiles and Jacksonville Transportation Authority spokesman Mike Miller.
Largely based on the committee’s recommendation, JAA Chief Administrative Office Maribel Hernandez said she will extend an offer.
“Best case scenario, we’ll hire someone very soon,” she said, “but I am certain the committee will review each applicant very carefully before a decision is made.”
Hernandez said the committee process is often used prior to filling high-level JAA positions.In July it was reported that the as-yet-unfilled filled position will serve as a liaison between federal, state and local legislators. The external affairs director will also manage all community relations, customer service and community relations for the authority.
Much of those duties had until recently been overseen by Michelle Branham, formerly JAA’s public information officer. Branham, who resigned in June, left making just over $60,000 and she now works for a local developer.
Her position has since been eliminated, though Michael Sharkey will continue in his role as media relations administrator and spokesperson.