Chicago Executive Airport won't renew contract with CEO, official says

After just one year, Chicago Executive Airport is expected to drop Charlie Priester as CEO, but the two aren't exactly parting ways.

"As of right now it will expire," airport Executive Director Jamie Abbott said Wednesday of Priester's contract, up June 30.

The airport board of directors laid the groundwork for the move Wednesday night, striking $100,000 originally earmarked for Priester's $6,000-a-month salary and a possible bonus.

Instead, the budget calls for re-allocating those funds toward engineering services, including costs to begin the second phase of a study into business at and around the state's third-busiest airport, jointly owned by Prospect Heights and Wheeling.

Some officials from both towns are divided about ending Priester's tenure as CEO, whose primary job has been overseeing the study's first phase.

Wheeling Trustee Mary Papantos noted that airport neighbors and pilots have raised concerns that his hiring poses a conflict of interest because of his ties to the family business, Priester Aviation, which is based at Chicago Executive. Village President Dean Argiris, though, said attorneys advised the municipalities there was no conflict.

Priester was hired in July 2014 and given the CEO title to aid him in negotiating with state and federal officials, leaders have said. He also argued at the time that a longer runway would accommodate planes with the fuel to fly nonstop overseas, touching off protests from neighbors who feared that a runway extension displaces homes and businesses.

If the airport renewed his contract, "people would assume the purpose of the master plan is to expand the runway," Papantos said, despite pressure from Argiris to put the brakes on talk of a runway extension.

Now, Wheeling trustees are set to vote on the spending plan again Monday and then Prospect Heights aldermen the following week. Both municipal owners failed to approve it before the airport's May 1 fiscal year began.

At issue was $275,000 in expenses - Priester's pay and the funding for more study - included first in the airport's draft budget.

"Obviously, this was not their first choice," Prospect Heights Ward 4 Aldermen Patrick Ludvigsen said.

He said he hasn't seen any reason to justify not renewing Priester's contract.

"It just feels like some people at the municipal level instead of the airport board are trying to dictate what happens there," Ludvigsen said.

Argiris said he first wanted to get the results of the study's first phase before earmarking the money. While he, trustees and aldermen have unanimously agreed to proceed to a more in-depth Phase II, Argiris said Crawford, Murphy & Tilly should take the lead on the effort, not Priester. The firm unveiled a "Visioning Report" last week that persuaded municipal leaders to move forward.

"They're the experts, let's be honest," said Argiris, but he gave kudos to Priester for assembling the team.

One option is paying Crawford, Murphy & Tilly to add Priester on as a consultant to the team that did the report, Abbott said. The details of such an agreement will come before the airport's board in July, Abbott said.

He said Priester's job duties are expected to change.

"I think now it's probably his focus will be on more technical things, which is more in line with what CMT does for us," he said.

Priester couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday night.