James Stephens will be stepping down from his current role as Executive Director of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission to take the reins of the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) in October.
Stephens, who has directed the Commission for eight years, also sits on the board of directors as Treasurer for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO). He will finish out his term for that organization in September, which coincides with NASAO’s Annual Conference and Trade Show being held in Greenville on September 10-14.
“When the opportunity came, I was originally asked about beginning at GMU in August,” said Stephens. “That is before the NASAO Annual Conference, and I felt that I needed to maintain my commitment to host the annual conference. After discussing that with the airport, it was agreed that I could start in October.”
Stephens, who became the director of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission on July 1, 2014, shared with the State Aviation Journal, that his years working with other state aviation directors has been extremely valuable to him. Before taking the position with the Commission, he had experience as an airport manager along with other aviation related jobs, but none fully prepared him for being a director of a state aviation agency. “My time with other directors has given me an education, accountability, and resources that added to the ability to be successful as a director,” said Stephens. “These years have shaped me and provided me with a better understanding of how our industry is developed at the state and national level.”
During his tenure at the Commission, Stephens said he’s been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for a very stable Commission. “My Chairman (Delphin Gantt, Jr.) has been Chairman since before my time with the Commission, and he has been the most stabilizing factor on the Commission,” said Stephens. “The terms of those that serve are staggered, and as such, can cause turmoil as individuals come and go. Collectively, we’ve worked to stabilize our State Aviation Fund, extend Commissioner terms from only serving one to allowing for two, and we’ve been successful in gathering support within the legislature.
Greenville Downtown Airport is the busiest and largest general aviation airport in South Carolina, and Stephens states that he’s looking forward to working to maintain that status with the help of the FBO’s, tenants, numerous flight schools and businesses that call GMU home. “The potential for a runway extension and property development are in the near future and working with the airport leadership towards the accomplishment of these goals is one of the major things that I look forward to being part of.”
