PITTSTON TWP., PA — Following an extensive search process, the Bi-County Airport Board voted unanimously Thursday to appoint longtime engineering director Stephen Mykulyn as the new executive director of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP).
Mykulyn, 59, of Plains Township, brings decades of local infrastructure experience to the permanent role. He previously served as the airport’s director of engineering for 16 years after working as an engineering consultant, and he has managed day-to-day facility operations as interim executive director since March.
Under the terms approved by the board, Mykulyn will receive a starting annual salary of $150,000 on a three-year contract that includes options for two one-year extensions.
The board’s vote concludes a hiring process that began after former executive director Carl Beardsley Jr. took a leave of absence for health reasons. After an initial nationwide search that cost over $47,000, the board initially offered the position to a candidate from North Carolina in August. However, after contract negotiations with the external candidate dissolved, board members turned back to internal leadership, praising Mykulyn’s steady stewardship of ongoing terminal capital projects and facility operations during the transitional period.
As executive director, Mykulyn will oversee administrative operations, terminal maintenance, and capital development while working alongside the airport's air service development staff to attract additional commercial carriers and expand passenger routes.
