AUBURN — Edouard Plourde, the long-standing chairman of the Auburn-Lewiston Airport board of directors, resigned this month.

Plourde has served on the board since April 1999 and as its chairman since January 2005.

He has overseen construction of a parallel taxiway for the main runway, the construction of a new, larger terminal building, a 27,000-square-foot hangar nearby and, most recently, the expansion of the terminal aircraft parking ramp.

He led the effort to bring the reconstruction of one of the last Lockheed Super Constellations to the airport, thereby bringing an international corporation and as many as 300 skilled workers with a payroll averaging $1 million per month to the region.

Through his leadership, the airport added more than 100 acres of additional lands, took over the flight continuation servicing business and added eight employees to the airport staff.

Plourde was thanked for his service to the community with an engraved gavel, presented on behalf of the board by airport Director Rick Lanman, AAE, with an audience of past and present board members, along with a small gathering of airport tenants.

With Plourde’s departure, new board officers were elected. The new chairman of the airport board of directors for the coming year is state Rep. Bettyann Sheats of Auburn. Councilor Bob Hayes of Auburn was elected vice chairman and Auburn Finance Director Jill Eastman was elected treasurer. All will serve one-year terms.

Edouard Plourde