The deputy director of aviation at the Bellingham International Airport has left her position after 15 years at the airport.
Emily Phillipe’s last day at BLI was Tuesday, Aug. 13, a day after she notified the Port of Bellingham about her intention to leave. Phillipe’s resignation comes just weeks after the former aviation director, Kip Turner, was let go by the port reportedly for financial reasons.
Rob Fix, the port’s executive director, said over the phone Wednesday, Aug. 14, that Phillipe had accepted another job, but did not say what her new position would be. She had initially put in a three-week notice.
“When she didn’t share what her position was, where she was going, out of an abundance of caution we said, ‘Thank you for your service but we’re not going to make you work those three weeks’,” Fix said, noting that Phillipe worked with him on airline route development.
Phillipe will continue to be paid for the next three weeks for her work at BLI. She could not immediately be reached for comment.
BLI has lost nearly 40% of its business with the recent departure of Southwest Airlines, Fix said Wednesday. Southwest ended flights at the airport as of Aug. 4.
“If there is a time to have a dwindling management team, it’s now,” he said. “There’s not as much work to be done out there when you’ve lost 40 percent of your business.”
Fix has assumed the aviation director role at the airport on top of his primary role at the port. He said it’s unknown when BLI will replace Phillipe, or what that role could look like in the future.
“If the right candidate internally steps up, we probably won’t do a search, but if we don’t find the right candidate internally, we probably will do a search,” he said. “The fortunate thing is we have time on our side here.”
The Port previously said no decisions have been made to hire an aviation director.
Phillipe started at BLI in April 2009 as an airport operations specialist, according to her LinkedIn page. Over the past 15 years, she was steadily promoted going from general aviation administrator to airport operations manager to taking over as deputy director of aviation in 2023.
Mike Hogan, the port’s public affairs administrator, said BLI acts as a proving ground for airport employees to move up in the industry.
“We understand that there’s limited opportunities at our airport and so we’re always happy to see when folks are able to take advancement at bigger airports,” he said.
Fix pushed back on the idea that BLI is in trouble with Southwest departing and staff changes. He noted the airline industry is cyclical and it’s not the first time there has been a downturn in financial operations at the airport.
“The rumors of BLI’s demise are greatly exaggerated,” he said. “It’s a great airport. We have an incredible team there. They’re going to continue to do a good job and the planes are going to continue to take off and land.”
Turner told CDN previously he had no warning about being let go and the Port has refused to discuss Turner’s departure.
“The Port does not discuss personnel issues,” wrote Mike Hogan, the port’s public affairs administrator, in an email to CDN on Wednesday, July 31.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
