February 8 at 6:15 p.m. "Managing the Terminal Area & Parking Improvement Program @ Gerald R. Ford International Airport" by Tom Ecklund Register Now >>

Further Information

The Terminal Area & Parking Improvement Program (Project) redeveloped the “front door” of Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA). As a critical economic development link in West Michigan, GFIA has approximately 6 million passengers and visitors walk through its front doors annually. In order to maintain 24/7 services, the Project was designed to include 8 separate construction phases, resulting in dozens of work plans being developed in cooperation between GFIA staff, the contractor, and tenants. The work plans were developed with the goal of allowing the contractor to proceed with construction while providing a safe environment for Airport employees and visitors. In anticipation of the overwhelming work load the project would create, GFIA staff hired a construction manager/liason to act on behalf of GFIA. This contract started during the review of plans and specifications to allow the individual to become familiar with the project before construction started. This familiarity and plan review proved invaluable during the construction phase of the project. Tom is currently Facilities Management Director at Gerald R. Ford Inetrnational Airport. He oversees all design, construction, and maintenance through 3 reporting divisions & various service contracts. Prior to assuming his current position in 2003, he managed engineering, survey, & planning staff for private sector firms in west Michigan. He was responsible for daily operations, schedules, budgets, QA/QC, technical oversight, and staff development. From 1986 to 1994 he was Asst. City Manager/Public Works for the City of Grand Rapids, overseeing a staff of 500 and a budget of $50 million. Tom holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Michigan and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Michigan State Universtity.

Bonus Presentation

Don't forget to attend our bonus program worth 1 extra PDU! Kelly Talsma is presenting on the topic "WMPMI Education and Community Out Reach Programs." Don't be late!

PDUs

All dinner meetings are worth 1 PDU.  For help claiming PDUs click here.  Don't forget, attend our bonus programs and earn 1 extra PDU.

Directions

All meetings are held at Holiday Inn Express / Crossroads unless otherwise noted. For directions, click here

Agenda

Cost

• $30 – Western Michigan Chapter Member
• $40 – Guest/A Non-member of the Western Michigan Chapter
• $25 – Full-Time Student Guest (Enrolled for 12+ credit hours/semester)
• $5 – Additional for walk-ins

Reservations

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Important: Reservations and cancellations MUST be received by NOON the Thursday before the event. If you do not cancel before noon on Thursday you will be invoiced for payment of the registration, in full.

2009/2010 Program Schedule

2008/2009 Program Schedule

Cancellation of scheduled dinner meetings due to weather:
If any monthly Chapter Dinner/Program Meetings must be canceled due to weather, the Board will make that determination by noon of the meeting day and post a notice as soon as possible on this page. Make it a practice to check this page if you have any doubts about going to a meeting due to weather conditions.