Habersham County Airport Manager Will Regan will transition to a new role soon as the county’s first risk manager.
Being the first at something is not new for Regan, who became the first airport manager when the county took over from a private fixed-based operator.
Habersham County is being proactive in addressing preventable accidents.
“Risk is inherent any time emergency personnel, road department crews, and other county personnel conduct their duties,” a news release from the county states. “County leaders believe those risks can be reduced through education, training, and positive peer influence.”
County public information officer Rob Moore says, “Last year, the Habersham County Board of Commissioners and County Manager Alicia Vaughn identified the need for a shift in the county’s risk management style to make it more focused on prevention and accountability.”
‘An ounce of prevention’
As the risk manager, it will be Regan’s job to receive and file claims, review and suggest improvements to current safety policies, and coordinate with department heads to make sure efforts are being made to mitigate those accidents from occurring again.
“This shift from a reactive to proactive approach will help in saving the county money on insurance premiums and deductibles, but more importantly, it will increase the safety of the county’s employees and the citizens they interact with on a daily basis,” says Vaughn.
She adds, “It is our hope that this position fosters a safety-oriented culture within the county’s departments. As the old saying goes, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’”
Vaughn made the announcement to the Habersham County Airport Commission at the conclusion of that body’s meeting Thursday morning.
Regan has an associate degree in business management as well as a bachelor’s degree in managerial sciences from Georgia State. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgia State University.
“What I really enjoyed about the airport is that it was a new position,” Regan says. “It was a new experience, a new opportunity to build something. And I see the same thing transitioning into this role. I’m going to have the chance to be boots on the ground and be actively involved in building something that ultimately will make a very significant impact on the taxpayers’ pockets if we’re able to do things that allow us to reduce this county’s liability, that ends up saving us in the long run, not only for losses but also as well as for injuries, people off work, and the like.”
Interim airport manager named
With a background in law enforcement, including serving as a police chief and having owned four businesses, Regan says he is ready to meet the challenges associated with making Habersham County a safer place for employees and the citizens they serve.
Vaughn has named Josh Hall as interim airport manager.
Hall has worked for Habersham County for 14 months and currently serves as operations manager for the airport.
“I grew up in a family that owned an aviation sales company, so it’s all I’ve ever known,” Hall says.
According to the county, Hall has 700 hours of flying time and formerly flew corporate. He also has experience in sales and maintenance of aircraft as well as line service, like he currently does at the airport.
“My passion in life has always been aviation,” says Hall. “I grew up washing airplanes as a kid, then moved on to selling airplanes for my dad’s company.”
Hall says he’s looking forward to serving as Habersham County’s interim airport manager until a suitable replacement can be found.
