New Airport Manager Begins Service At Hickory Airport

Hickory City Manager Warren Wood hired Chad Hunsucker to serve as the City of Hickory’s new Airport Manager. Hunsucker took over the management of the Hickory Regional Airport on Tuesday, January 2nd replacing Terry Clark, who retired at the end of 2023 after more than 42 years of service.

A Hickory native, Hunsucker spent 27 years in the military, serving his country as a Director of Aviation Operations and Program Manager in the U.S. Navy from January 1991 to December 2017. During that time, he managed aviation operations and personnel at numerous military airfields in Hawaii, Mississippi, and Virginia.

Hunsucker most recently worked as an Air Traffic Control Specialist for Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. at Concord Regional Airport since February 2018. Hunsucker earned a Bachelor of Applied Science and Technology degree in Aviation/Airway Management and Operations from Thomas Edison State University. He is certified as a Control Tower Operator through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification from the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity.

Outside of his professional experience, Hunsucker’s community service and volunteer efforts have included organizing fundraising events for the American Heart Association since May 2001 and serving as a volunteer coordinator for Habitat for Humanity International from March 1997 to March 2002. Hunsucker resides in Maiden with his wife, Carol. They have a daughter named Ceara, who is a senior at Liberty University.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY