Leadership shifts on Westmoreland airport authority board
Oct. 12—Janice Smarto will lead the Westmoreland County Airport Authority board, filling a role formerly held by Paul Puleo — one of two board members jettisoned by a recent 2-1 vote of the county commissioners.
The authority "will move forward. We're here to serve the county and make the best decisions that we can. We work hard and give our time," said Chairwoman Smarto, a Jeannette Realtor.
Vince Finoli, who participated in the Tuesday authority meeting by phone, moved up from secretary to vice chairman.
Commissioners Gina Cerilli Thrasher and Doug Chew voted to appoint Paul Whittaker and Rich Pologruto to the authority — respectively replacing Puleo and Donald "Doc" Giffin, whose five-year terms had expired.
Puleo, Giffin and five other board members voted in June to approve a new lease with DeNunzio's Italian Chophouse at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport terminal.
The move was made without meeting with Thrasher and Chew to discuss the commissioners' recommendations about how to increase food service revenue at the Unity airport — something Thrasher said caused her to lose confidence in the board.
Her vote to replace the authority members was "not personal," said Thrasher, who attended the meeting.
"We asked to meet with the board to go over ideas to make this (restaurant) contract more airport-friendly. We made it very clear that, if they want to continue with DeNunzio's, they can do that.
"The airport authority refused to meet with us. They rushed this contract through a year in advance," she said.
After the commissioners pressured the authority to open the restaurant lease to other potential vendors, three additional proposals were received. Authority member Don Rossi said the potential lessees indicated "they would be willing to work with the airport at any cost."
But an independent consultant recommended sticking with DeNunzio's, unless the authority would be willing to make financial concessions to attract a five-star restaurant, Rossi said.
DeNunzio's new lease has an initial term of 5 years, with two additional 5-year options to renew. DeNunzio's will pay $7,447.50 per month for rent and utilities, up from $4,000 in a previous agreement that would have expired next year. The restaurant also will pay $500 per month for use of a banquet room, up from $500 per quarter.
DeNunzio's manager Anthony M. DeNunzio II, of Jeannette, lamented losing Puleo and Giffin on the board.
"We're losing two great contributors," he said.
Giffin was the former right-hand man to late golfing legend Arnold Palmer, for whom the airport was renamed and who served multiple terms on the authority before his death in 2016.
DeNunzio told the authority he is concerned about the long-term future of the airport and of his restaurant.
"I'm greatly concerned that the foundation that was set, established and carried out by Arnold Palmer and the airport authority board members is in jeopardy," he said. "I'm hopeful that our county commissioners will use common sense and educated decisions... to benefit our county moving forward."
Appointments to the authority aren't meant to be for a lifetime, Thrasher said.
"The two new appointees are going to be a great asset to the airport authority. I'm excited to work with them as a commissioner and to share ideas with them," she said.
Whittaker runs an excavating business and a private airport in Derry Township and has completed construction work at the airport.
"I've had my pilot's license since 1970," he said.
Pologruto, of Mt. Pleasant, sells emergency vehicles in Pennsylvania for the REV Group and also is part of an ownership group at Jennerstown Speedway.
"I'm just happy to be put on the board," he said. "I'm going to do my best to help the authority move forward."
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .
