Maryland transportation officials said yesterday that they are still searching for a new airport director and are considering taking legal action against an executive search firm that resigned Monday amid accusations that the hiring process was tainted by state officials.
The Maryland Aviation Commission, which oversees Baltimore-Washington International Airport, voted March 13 to recommend that Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari hire Paul J. Wiedefeld, a Baltimore construction and engineering executive with extensive experience managing state transportation projects. Wiedefeld has been interviewed by Gov. Parris N. Glendening, but no offer has yet been extended and a spokesman for Porcari said the position remains open.
Boyden Global Executive Search partner Tim McNamara complained that his firm has been cut out of the hiring process, prompting him to send a letter of resignation that raised questions about the selection process. Wiedefeld was not among the candidates selected by Boyden in a nationwide search that began nine months ago.
"It's the first public-sector search in 16 years where we haven't been in the loop from the get-go of the entire search," said McNamara, whose firm was paid $50,000 plus expenses to conduct the search. "The integrity of the process is not there when there are multiple processes going on at the same time."
Porcari's office said it was blindsided by the resignation and McNamara's public comments about the search, first reported in the Washington Post yesterday.
"Our legal team is reviewing the potential breach of contract and the breach of confidence by the executive search firm," said Jack Cahalen, a spokesman for Porcari. He declined to comment on the status of the search, which has been narrowed to a "few candidates."
McNamara's accusations come at a turbulent time for the region's busiest airport, which is still recovering from the after-effects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a sluggish economy. The airport has been searching for a permanent executive director since David L. Blackshear was forced to resign amid accusations that he made racist and sexist remarks to two staffers. Blackshear discounted the complaints, saying they were a result of political meddling by airport staff with close ties to the governor.
Some airport commission members defended their candidate yesterday, saying there was no political pressure from the governor or transportation secretary to pick Wiedefeld.
