The recent firing of Chuck Fast as CEO of the Comox Valley airport by its board has touched off a vigorous response from members of the public who believe the dismissal was unfair, unjustified, and damaging to the airport and its future. It has become a lively public issue in the letters section of local newspapers, along with public demonstrations, and presentations to the Regional District board, whose members nominate three of the airport board's members.
Meanwhile, the airport board has engaged the services of a Vancouver-based head-hunter to find Fast's replacement, perhaps trying to snuff out the protest with quick irreversible action.
This is a delicate issue all around., which pits legitimate values against one another.
One one hand, a board should be able to conduct its business without being second-guessed by its nominating bodies or even the public. On the other, when someone has been fired from a high profile job under a suspicious cloud, the public has the right to hold the board accountable for its actions, which may involve questioning those actions.
That there was a conflict between some members of the airport board and Chuck Fast is clear- What galls some observers is the perception that it is the board that should be sent packing, and not the CEO.
At least that's the opinion of Barry Wood, a long-time Comox Valley resident and member of a citizens' group assembled to fight the Fast dismissal, and Terry Law, an ex-member of the airport board, who was one of two who resigned over the issue.
Over the course of several years, incidents of friction occurred between Chuck Fast and members of the board. Most of these concerned relatively minor details of how things should be done.
Law says that the airport board supposedly operated under the “governance model”, which means that it is “somewhat removed from the day-to-day operations, focusing instead on guidelines- the big policy issues.”
Chuck Fast thinks “an element of the board didn't understand the governance model. They wanted to do what they wanted to do, which served the board but not the community.” He adds- “It took a long time to get the board to complete its strategic plan, which defined corporate performance objectives”, in spite of Fast's frequent urgings- “They got tired of talking to me- I became their conscience. I'm not subtle. I suspect I overworked the executive. Passion was misinterpreted as arrogance.”
One time, Fast corrected the chairman of the board's covering letter, which apparently caused resentment.
Another, some board members wanted to take a trip out east to attend an airport conference- Fast said it was a bad idea because the other attendees were major federal airports, and the discussion would be of no relevance to Comox.
At the same time, Fast and then board member Terry Law went to a conference in Vancouver because it was relevant to Law's professional expertise.
In another incident, the board apparently asked Fast to prepare an appraisal of a piece of property it was thinking of purchasing for a new terminal. Fast prepared a detailed analysis on the topic, but apparently the board only had in mind an “appraisal”, and this led to conflict.
Another time Fast added someone's name on a routine letter that had to be submitted at the last moment, something he had done with the board's knowledge before, but this time he was castigated for it. Both these last incidents are mentioned in the two letters on the next page.
If these all seem fairly trivial as grounds to fire someone like Chuck Fast, then perhaps there is a more significant spark.
The all-volunteer board decided to start paying itself. Terry Law says that Fast was “charged with acting in the best interests of the organization, and bound to tell (the board) if they were stepping over the line or illegal. That doesn't sit well with some people.”
Paying themselves was explicitly contrary to the board's own rules, or Letters of Patent. The issue of remuneration, and Fast's opposition to it, may be the one that convinced the board that it would be better of without Chuck Fast.
Also, the board is required to consult with its nominating bodies, such as the Regional District, when it engages in major policy changes. Remuneration, and the firing of Fast both qualify, and the board was negligent, at best in not consulting. This is the basis for much of the protestation by concerned members of the public.
The actual reason for the firing remains a mystery- Fast himself says- “I still don't know why they fired me.”
No one has accused the ex F-18 fighter pilot of anything other than doing his job well.
Terry Law says- “We hired him because he thinks fast on his feet, gets things done quickly, can explain things in detail, and doesn't back down from difficulties. Chuck tends to think not only about the next month but years in advance.”
Barry Wood says- “He put on his tool belt, hammered nails; he showed up at midnight to make sure the Mexican tourists were okay.”
Fast also knows something about being on a board- “I've been recruited to boards around the island for my expertise on governance- BC Partnership for Sustainable Tourism, Vancouver Island Economic Alliance, and chairman of the board of Tourism Vancouver Island.”
Supporters of Fast believe he is the right man to continue moving the airport forward. Wood says- “The goals haven't changed- we're only halfway done. It's still hands on- we need somebody who is capable of attracting new airlines, retaining the existing ones, ongoing liaison with the military, and dealing with competition from Nanaimo. There's an international terminal targeted for five years from now.”
The official term used by the board to justify firing Fast is that they had “lost confidence.” Barry Wood thinks this covers a multitude of sins.
Apparently five board members were allied against Fast, two were supporters and two were “on the fence”- six were needed to pass the motion, and it took two and a half hours to win the latter to the dump-Chuck side.
Barry Wood has been, among other things, a human resources professional for many years, and he understands how termination of employment is meant to proceed-. “You can't just terminate people at will. There is a process of escalating discipline. You resolve conflicts through discussion, mediation.. At each step the employee needs to understand what's wrong- the steps to correct the situation, and the consequences. There is a time-lag built in. The process must be achievable, reasonable and humane. We all have to be given a chance to correct.”
Chuck Fast was fired when he was out of town on vacation. Wood says- “I don't like what happened here. I think it stinks.”
Last February the Comox Valley was voted the best airport management team in British Columbia. For the last five years in a row it has been voted the top airport in the country in customer satisfaction.
Top. In the country. Something to consider, when wondering what would justify firing the guy in charge.
Part of the reason for the outcry is that many people feel some buy-in at the airport. This is partly because of the huge campaign that occurred several years ago when the new terminal was being proposed, and required public support for its funding.
As Barry Wood says- with “very few resources”, Fast helped build up a strong network of enthusiastic volunteers who took on the issue and carried it to completion.
Over the years the citizens of the valley have contributed four million dollars to the facilities.
Of course lots of us use the airport, and there is also a widespread understanding that the it is one of the great success stories in the valley, and one of the prime engines which set us apart from more vulnerable neighbours in these still-delicate economic times. The boom in real estate prices a few years ago was partly stoked by Westjet's service to Alberta. In many ways, everyone has a stake in what happens at the airport.
It does not help matters that one of the main players in this dispute was also a participant in another recent, controversial and upsetting public conflict- namely the School District 71 reconfiguration. Although it is unfair to single him out, the fact remains that Ken Dawson was a member of the board who supported the changes in SD71 grade structure, which many parents, teachers and students blamed for a disastrous school year. The public had a chance to express itself by voting out Dawson and all the other board members who supported the grade change, and bringing in a new slate. But changing the airport board will be more difficult.
Fred Bates, chairman of the Regional District board, expressed at a recent meeting the admirable principle of not interfering with the decisions of the airport board, and there seems little appetite for reopening the issue in any public forum. Meanwhile, the headhunters are busy looking for Chuck Fast's replacement.

If, as it appears, someone of Chuck Fast's abilities can get fired for no good reason other than doing his job too well, then that is something everyone should take an interest in. All of us who have a job need to be concerned with whether the people in charge are behaving justly and appropriately. The Regional District should convene a committee to determine whether the public's interests in these matters have been met.