Columbia officials will wait on appointing a permanent airport manager

Columbia city leaders are holding off on a search for a new airport manager.

Airport officials appointed Mike Parks as acting airport manager after Tamara Pitts resigned after spending two months as airport manager.

Economic Development Director Stacey Button said Pitts’ departure was for personnel reasons but could not elaborate.

Button said airport officials are not planning on posting the job for now because city policy allows them to promote from within. City policy also states they have six months to evaluate whether to offer Parks the job permanently.

Parks was previously the operations supervisor at COU. When he was promoted, Jason Thomas stepped in to fill that position. Thomas was a security officer at the airport.

“It’s an opportunity for both of them to learn and grow in our organization,” said Button.

Button said the airport could make a decision before six months are up whether to keep Parks permanently in the position or to post the job.