Leadership changes coming to Albany County Airport Authority

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A transition in leadership is taking place at the Albany County Airport Authority, which is the agency that oversees Albany International Airport. The board of directors notified current CEO Phil Calderone on August 12 that they did not intend on renewing his contract at the end of his five-year term. His contract ends Dec. 1.

News of the board's move was first reported by the Times Union earlier this month. Since then, there has been speculation Albany County Exec. Dan McCoy might seek the CEO position. McCoy released a statement on Wednesday that put down those rumors and said he is committed to his job as county executive.

It read in-part: "To be clear, I am neither applying for, nor will I be seeking the opportunity to serve as the next CEO of the Albany County Airport."

The unexpected move not to renew Calderone's contract comes as the airport is undergoing a $100 million renovation project involving state and federal funds. This has drawn the attention of state lawmakers representing the region to find a replacement quickly.

The authority's board of directors said they will hire a national firm to conduct a search for the next CEO. They plan to have a new CEO in place by 2025.