The new Willard Airport Advisory Board was created at the end of 2023 to advise the Executive Director on matters of airport administration. The new Board helps to provide community input on the identification of future capital needs, examining the means and methods of financing such future capital needs, the promotion and examination of the financing means and methods for the economic development of the area on and around the airport, the joining together of economic development and airport operations, and the identification and implementation of ways of working with the local community to accomplish the Airport’s goals.
Nine Board Members have been appointed by the Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Board members include:
– Chair, Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director of Champaign County Economic Development Corporation
– Vice Chair, Jayne DeLuce, President & CEO, Experience Champaign-Urbana
– Karl Gnadt, Managing Director, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (CU MTD)
– Bruce Knight, Planning & Development Director, City of Champaign
– Diane Wolfe-Marlin, Mayor, City of Urbana
– Sharee Robinson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
– Steve Summers, County Executive, Champaign County
– John Walsh, External Affairs Program Executive, Carle Health System
– Christopher Walton, Village Administrator, Village of Savoy
The Board is designed to have wide-ranging experience and interests in the greater Champaign County community, to give local residents a greater voice in the administration of the Airport. The board will meet a minimum of 6 times per year.
