TRAVERSE CITY — New leadership will head up the Northwest Regional Airport Authority board in 2026.
The governing body of Cherry Capital Airport held its organizational meeting this week and elected Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Gaylord Area Visitor & Convention Bureau, as the board chair. Beachnau, who’s entering his sixth year on the board, will replace Leelanau County representative Steve Plamondon as chair.
Grand Traverse County Commissioner Daryl Nelson was elected as vice-chair, and Leelanau County Commissioner Will Bunek was named secretary. Cherry Capital CEO Kevin Klein serves as the board’s secretary. It was also the inaugural meeting for new members Bob Donnell, a former Coast Guard aviator, who was named to replace former member Wayne Schmidt as a representative from Grand Traverse County, and Leelanau County Commissioner Rick Robbins who replaced former member James O’Rourke on the board.
In other organizational business this week, the board set its meeting schedule for the year. It will continue to meet on the fourth Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. in the upstairs conference room at the airport. The exceptions are the meetings in March, November and December which will be on the third Tuesday of those months.
The board also renewed its contract with Traverse City attorney Michael Alanson as its labor relations and union contract negotiating attorney, and attorney Lindsay Danbrook of Danbrook Adams Raymond for its employment legal services. Attorney John Byl of the Warner Norcross + Judd law firm will continue as the legal counsel for environmental services.
Committee assignments for 2026, including the Finance and Building & Grounds committees, will be appointed next month.