Another airport authority member resigns
For the second time in a month, the Fayette County commissioners will be searching for an appointee to the Fayette County Airport Authority board of directors. Board member Nick Ludi resigned his seat following the board’s Tuesday night meeting, eight days after the county commissioners named Myrna Giannopoulos to replace Robert Schiffbauer on the five-person volunteer board.
Board Chairman Fred K. Davis said that Ludi notified the authority of his resignation via an e-mail that arrived after conclusion of the regular monthly meeting, which Ludi did not attend.
According to airport employee Dana Sanders, the e-mail read, “As of today, per Joe Hardy’s request, I have resigned from the authority.”
An accomplished pilot, Ludi works as flight department manager for ExecuJet, an enterprise that handles aviation needs for Fayette County Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III and his sprawling business empire, which includes the 84 Lumber Co. chain and the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa.
Ludi said Wednesday that his second stint on the airport board was cut short by Hardy’s ambitious business agenda for coming year. Ludi said that with a work schedule that often sees him flying across the country on short notice, Hardy felt he could not spare the pilot.
“Joe told me that he has so much going on in the next year that he can’t have me doing anything else, basically,” said Ludi. “I’m going to be flying all the time.”
Ludi added, “We’ve really increased our flying in the last few months, directly related to his business. He pulled me aside and said, ‘Gee, I just need you around because we’ve got all this stuff to do.'”