Clinton County Port Authority: A Wrap on 2022 and a Look Ahead for 2023

24 Feb 2023

News

Here in Clinton County, we are in full swing, building on the successes of 2022 to promote continued growth and prosperity for our region in 2023. This year has already kicked off with a big announcement. The Clinton County Port Authority (CCPA) welcomes T. Alex Beres as the new Executive Director. Beres brings a wealth of management experience to the Port Authority as he leaves the position of Policy Analyst in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.

“I’m honored by the Board entrusting me with the responsibility to lead the Port,” said Beres. “My family is excited to come back to Ohio and make Clinton County our home. The tremendous work Beth Huber and the team at the Port have done over the last year gives me the confidence that I can hit the ground running and we can continue in doing impactful work on behalf of the entire County.”

Looking ahead to the CCPA’s 2023 plans and goals:

In partnership with the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission, the Clinton County Board of Commissioners, the Dayton Development Coalition,JobsOhio, and utility partners, the Port Authority will continue infrastructure expansion planning for proposed megasites.
Work on spec building projects on and around the Wilmington Air Park continues, in partnership with the Community Improvement Corporation of Wilmington and private developers.
Wilmington DRIVE (Downtown Revitalization Investment Vibrancy Effort) is a new economic development initiative to advance and accelerate downtown Wilmington redevelopment opportunities. Through new private sector investment, the goal is to generate new job creation and downtown housing opportunities. Objectives include encouraging creative adaptive reuse and mixed-use development and reducing financial barriers to investing in the community’s urban core. The initial round of funding for the program has been provided by the City of Wilmington, the Clinton County Board of Commissioners, and the Community Improvement Corporation of Wilmington.
The Clinton County Workforce Collaborative — a partnership between Clinton County Port Authority (CCPA), OhioMeansJobs Clinton County, Southern Ohio Educational Service Center, and the Wilmington-Clinton County Chamber of Commerce — is continuing to support its Working Groups, identify challenges, and develop first-step solutions. Focuses for 2023 include:
Addressing the need for reliable and affordable childcare
Planning a Spring 2023 Clinton County Job Fair
Planning a Fall 2023 Clinton County Career Exploration Fair
Expanding Student Immersion Tours to include middle and high school students from all four school districts
Expanding the School & Community Connections Resource Guide

A look at CCPA’s 2022 accomplishments:

Award-Winning

For Clinton County, Ohio, 2022 was another award-winning year. The Wilmington Air Park was once again ranked the Best Airport in Ohio by Ohio Business Magazine for the third year running! Being the 25th highest-volume cargo airport (out of a field of 770) in the United States, plus its technical and navigational abilities, infrastructure, location, ease of access, and community impact propelled it to the top of the list. Located 10 minutes from I-71 and less than an hour from downtown Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, the Air Park is convenient for warehousing and distribution and has access to a workforce that extends south and east. Being a cargo-only means less congestion and contributes to its logistics success.

Clinton County Port Authority’s winning streak continued in another category. Ohio Business Magazine named Clinton County Port Authority one of the 2022 Best Workplaces in Ohio for the third year straight! A spirit of collaboration and focus is part of their winning formula.

Infrastructure Improvements

The Port Authority secured a $1.1 million grant from the Ohio Department of Development, allowing the City of Wilmington to repair and repave Airborne Road. This significant municipal roadway is a primary access point to numerous businesses — including the Wilmington Air Park — where 14 businesses employ nearly 4,000 people. JobsOhio and Dayton Development Coalition also helped to make the $2.2 million total infrastructure investment possible.

Thanks to multiple grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation and to our partners at LGSTX Services, Inc., CCPA was able to increase airport safety for our staff and the airplanes on our runway by patching and replacing hundreds of square feet of concrete and laying thousands of feet of reflective pavement markings.

The Clinton County Workforce Collaborative

Partnering with local businesses and schools, the Workforce Collaborative helped local students explore career opportunities in Clinton County. Through student immersion tours, 112 middle and high school students have learned about career paths in advanced manufacturing, aviation, and healthcare since the Spring of 2022.

Additionally, 2022 saw the development of the School & Community Connections Resource Guide to make it easier for employers, local schools, and community agencies to identify and expand workforce development opportunities for youth and adults in Clinton County. The 2022 Clinton County Career Exploration Fair was a huge success. This event differed from a typical job fair where participants just collect business cards and fill out job applications. The immersive experience allowed students and other members of the community to explore available careers firsthand.