Adams County Airport Authority seeks new board members, expands to seven seats

A county board that can shape airport contracts, property, maintenance, rates and development is opening its doors wider, and Adams County residents have until Monday, May 11, to apply for one of the seats now on the table at Alexander Salamon Airport.

The Adams County Airport Authority said it is seeking one person to fill a vacant board seat and, at the same time, voted to expand from five members to seven. The two new seats will be five-year terms running from May 18, 2026, through May 17, 2031. Applications must go to the Adams County Board of Commissioners in West Union, and applicants must be United States citizens and Adams County residents.

County officials said they want broader involvement, specifically non-aviation professionals with an interest in the development and betterment of Adams County. That gives the next board members a direct role in decisions that can influence how the airport is promoted, maintained and connected to county growth efforts, especially as county airports often sit at the intersection of emergency response, business access and long-term infrastructure planning.

The airport itself is identified by the county as Alexander Salamon Airport, at 3399 Cross Rd. in Winchester. Public airport references list it as FAA identifier AMT and ICAO KAMT, about four nautical miles north of West Union, with a 3,558-foot asphalt runway designated 05/23. Those same references list 1,416 aircraft operations and 17 based aircraft for the year ending Sept. 7, 2021, a reminder that even a modestly trafficked county airport can still carry real weight for taxpayers, medevac access and local commerce.

The Airport Authority Board meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the county terminal building in Winchester, and those meetings are open to the public. The county lists the current board members as Dennis Barnd, Sharon Ashley, Jeremy Roberts, Dan Music and Ray Brooks, with Julie Shupert serving as fiscal officer and secretary.

Ohio law gives a single county the power to create a regional airport authority and grants that authority control over operations, property, contracts, rates and maintenance. Adams County’s placement of Alexander Salamon Airport under its Business & Industry section underscores how county leaders view the airport not just as a runway in Winchester, but as a public asset tied to the county’s economic future.