After 2 TICO Airport employees were forced to resign, board member wants CEO's resignation

After the recent resignation of  two employees over thousands of dollars of missing airport equipment and materials, a member of the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority board wants the man who runs the authority’s three airports gone.

"He is not right" for this organization, authority board member, Milo Zonka said of  Authority CEO Michael Powell during a standing-room only meeting Thursday, where TV cameras rolled at the board's monthly meeting and questions were raised about authority operations and a pending criminal investigation.

Zonka's rebuke of Powell followed a recent report of alleged employee malfeasance that led to the recent forced resignation of two workers, including its longtime maintenance director.

More:2 employees at TICO Airport forced to resign after allegations of mishandling property

More:Embraer to begin manufacturing jet seats in Titusville

"The organization clearly has got some major deficits," Zonka told Powell.

Zonka said it was he who informed authority auditors of the missing equipment, not Powell and that wasn't right,

Powell began leading the authority in December 2006 as its executive director. The title changed to CEO in  2012. Powell currently is paid $181,500 annually. 

The authority's operations include the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Arthur Dunn Airpark in Titusville and Merritt Island Airport.

"We've invested probably almost $2 million in Michael in the time that he has been here, between pay and benefits, and we have a system that is not well run in my opinion," Zonka said. "Michael, I'm sorry, I don't think you're the right answer for running this organization."

Powell disagreed with Zonka's assessment of his performance and said the authority is much better off than when he joined.

"I think anybody can look in any direction at the three airports and see how far they've come in the amount of time I've been here," Powell said. "That happened because of me."

Scrutiny of Powell's management not only comes with the forced resignation of employees, and what appears to be a lax oversight system for inventory of authority property. But it also coincided with the annual discussion of Powell's performance evaluation.

Excluding Zonka, all the board members had positive comments for Powell, though some had some reservations about how the alleged employee malfeasance at the authority was allowed to occur under his leadership.

“It’s a process that broke down that allowed this to happen,” said John Craig, former chairman of the Brevard School Board and fighter pilot, who recently joined the TICO board.

"Theft is unacceptable," Craig added.

The two employees, Richard Jones and William “Jesse” Thomas, are being investigated, in part, for taking airport authority property — including three Mott mower attachments and three used Ford diesel tractors — for their own use. They could not be reached for comment by FLORIDA TODAY.

Also, Thomas is being investigated for taking airport items such as batteries, copper and scrap iron from the authority to ATM Recycling in Titusville and pocketing $3,451.49 in 29 transactions between September 2017 and October 2018. Among the most valuable items was 780 pounds of copper that sold for $1,677. 

 As of yet, neither the money, nor the equipment has been returned to the authority. Powell said the scrap material probably came from the airport but that's still being investigated.

The board voted to forward the matter to Titusville Police for further investigation and charges could follow.  Also, the  board voted in favor of making sure any back pay, severance or benefits are withheld from the employees in question at the very least until authority property and funds are returned.

Powell, at Craig's recommendation, also soon will meet with Brevard School Superintendent Mark Mullins to discuss how the school district dealt with an incident of employee theft of public property a few years ago.

More:Theft ring at Brevard Schools 2016

The allegations — and disciplinary actions — were outlined in a letter sent by airport attorney Adam Bird to the airport authority members earlier this week. In part, it calls for better inventory controls and security procedures at authority properties.

Price is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Price at 321-242-3658

or wprice@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @Fla2dayBiz

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