By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
This past May, Marshall Taggart was brought in by the Montgomery Airport Authority to take over as executive director.
With nearly 25 years in combined public, private and entrepreneurial leadership Taggart is ready to bring the Montgomery Airport to new heights.
Taggart has worked in the greater Atlanta area for years, as well as Tallahassee, helping to build his resume for this job.
He served as Deputy Aviation Director at the Tallahassee Regional Airport before moving on to National Director of Airport Business Development at Mediashift Technologies. This accumulated to him taking over the role as Deputy Airport Director at Dekalb Peachtree Airport in Atlanta which would ultimately lead to him taking over as the Executive Director in Montgomery.
Taggart brings many different aspects to the airport, such as: leadership development, organizational motivation, problem solving skills, marketing, among many other great qualities. Perhaps his greatest quality is his ability to help bring change management, and an organized plan for the future of his airport.
“We’re going to see a lot of changes within this airport,” Taggart said. “The experience that people will have when they come to this location will have them coming back again and again.”
The experience that Taggart speaks of will be a part of his VISION 2025 plan. Under this five-year plan, Taggart hopes to alleviate some of the issues that travelers have dealt with – chief among them, lodging.
“We want to build a hotel on the airport grounds so that flyers don’t have to drive so far to get here for their flight. There isn’t a hotel next to us for miles, so this is long overdue,” Taggart explains.
This isn’t the only change that Taggart envisions. Part of his plan will also bring in ten new gates to the airport, which will help to bring in more airlines and direct flight destinations. As it stands, the airport only allows direct flights to Charlotte, Houston, Atlanta, and D.C. With the building of these gates, the airport will see flights that can directly take them to excursion spots such as Orlando and Miami. It will also allow for even farther flights, such as Denver, New York, and many more.
Furthermore, the airport is looking to add same day flights to D.C.
“We know that it can be an issue when people fly out of here to D.C. because, as it is, you can’t fly back here the same night. Not anymore. We want you to be able to fly out of here in the morning, get to D.C. and be able to fly back that afternoon or evening and be able to spend times with your friends and family,” said Taggart.
VISION 2025 also is prepared to help build a covered parking lot.
“We want to reduce the amount of heat that cars have to endure while you are away at your destination. Most airports have a covered lot, and we want to be a part of that too,” Taggart explains.
But it doesn’t stop at the physical changes. Taggart wants his travelers to know that the Montgomery Regional Airport will provide the best service around.
“Excellent customer service. By the time you step out of your car to the moment you step on your plane, you will be receiving the best treatment possible,” Taggart said.
With the leadership and vision of Taggart, the MGM airport will be in great hands. The implementation of VISION 2025 will allow for an optimal traveler experience, paired with the southern hospitality that people expect from this great state.
