Her friendly smile and can-do attitude have welcomed countless visitors and pilots to the Geauga County Airport in Middlefield for years.
Her friendly smile and can-do attitude have welcomed countless visitors and pilots to the Geauga County Airport in Middlefield for years.
But a new flight plan has emerged for Geauga County Airport Manager Patty Fulop, taking her from part-time work to a full-time position in Lake County.
“My heart is here at Geauga County Airport, where I have been well treated and respected by everyone that matters for going on 14 years,” Fulop said during a recent interview. “Yeah, it is difficult to leave here, but I have always let the Lord open and close the doors he wants me to walk through and whatever path I am intended to take will always present itself.”
Air travel has always been part of Fulop’s life. Upon graduation from Cardinal High School, she went to a travel trade school, eventually opening her own travel agency in 1984, Regal Travel & Tours in Middlefield.
“That was a big year for me. I opened my business, got married and bought a house,” Fulop said.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, vacation and air travel fell, Internet became more widely used and most major airlines cut commissions, leaving the travel industry in serious trouble.
An opportunity came in 2005 to keep books at the Geauga County Airport, so Fulop worked part time at the airport and part-time at her business.
“My husband, Dave, and my vision had always been to be a trusted hometown business that serviced our local industry, neighbors, friends and relatives face to face, so we opted to eliminate most of our overhead by moving the business to our house,” Fulop said, adding they eventually closed it.
“Having managed a business, it didn’t take long for the (Geauga County) Airport Authority to recognize my experience and shortly after taking the accounting position at Geauga County Airport, I was upgraded to the position of airport manager,” Fulop said.
Fulop is responsible for managing all day-to-day operations.
“Patty was an entrepreneur and she brought that mentality to the airport,” said George “Chip” Hess, Geauga County Airport Authority board president. ”I believe she looks at the airport as her business and she takes the time to complete all of the tasks needed as if it were hers.”
Hess said she is also not intimidated when dealing with county, state and federal government agencies and, in fact, has learned what is needed and on many occasions, been the one to remind these agencies on how things work.
“Patty also lives right down the street from the airport and is an active community member, so this adds to her pride in what she does,” Hess said. “She is also available 24/7 to go to the airport to help someone get fueled up, open a door, move an airplane, etc. Many of these things go unnoticed because she is not one to blow her own horn. Again, she just does it.”
Back in 2007, Lake County was preparing to take on the sponsorship of Lost Nation Airport and formed the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority.
In early 2014, at the suggestion from a couple pilots and board members, Fulop was sought after to consult in airport —particularly Federal Aviation Administration — matters.
As the airport transfer became a reality, the port authority hired her as the Lost Nation Airport manager, which was part time and allowed her to continue working at the Geauga County Airport.
Her newest journey began recently when a position opened up within the Painesville office for a board recording and administrative secretary, allowing Fulop to go full time with a complete benefits package.
“It is a good fit for me,” Fulop said.
She said Geauga County Airport is warm, kind and personable, more like a family than some fenced in cold and sterile facilities.
The airport is home to the Cleveland Soaring Society and what Fulop refers to as the true heartbeat of the airport — an 80-member, nonprofit chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association.
“I can’t thank both of those groups enough for the help they have been at the airport,” Fulop said.
Tim Connor is EAA Chapter 5 president.
“Patty has made the airport a thriving business as well as a strong community asset,” Connor said. “She has worked tirelessly to integrate the airport into the business community as a partner in attracting and serving business to Geauga County. We are sorry to lose her, but respect that she deserves an even larger opportunity.”
Feelings are mutual.
“Fortunately, I serve as treasurer of EAA Chapter 5, so they won’t get rid of me completely,” Fulop said.
One factor she will have to wrestle with is logistics.
“Now I have about a 30-minute drive to my office at the port authority in Painesville and a 50-minute drive to my office at Lost Nation Airport. Both take me through the most snow in the state in the winter months,” Fulop said.
Former board members George Davis and John Rowland used to always say to Fulop she made their board look good.
“In reality, it was the passion and sincere desire to serve, which the board conveyed, that encouraged and influenced her,” Fulop said.
They said they are very fortunate to have Patty as long as they did.
“Change is a difficult word to digest sometimes and I think we are all guilty of looking for a cause or perhaps controversy when it happens,” Fulop said. “There is no drama to be found here. Looking back at the nearly 14 years spent here, it would be tedious to list the goals achieved as there were many.”
She leaves with the confidence her accomplishments have made the airport a better place and leave them in a more financially sound state than when she arrived.
She is also grateful to the Lake County Commissioners and Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority for their support and confidence.
“Together, we are on a journey to map out the future of the Lost Nation Airport,” Fulop said.
