Marshall J. Taggart, Jr. will assist the Tallahassee Regional Airport in reaching new heights as the city’s assistant aviation director.
Appointed to the executive position in the city’s aviation department on Feb. 1, Taggart said he’s eager for his career to take flight with in Tallahassee.
“I feel that is a tremendous opportunity to engage with employees in the airport industry,” said Taggart.
Before coming to the capital city, Taggart served as the senior concession manager for the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He graduated from Clark Atlanta University bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a master’s degree in Public Administration in 1992 and 1997.
“When I got my master’s degree I had a concentration in Public Finance Management and Urban Administration. It was an opportunity to understand how to run major public sector agencies and what it takes to fund those agencies,” Taggart said.
According to City of Tallahassee Aviation Department Press Release, Taggart negotiated concession contracts to earn over $40 million in revenue for the City of Atlanta.
Taggart’s hard work, dedication, and innovation in 2009 earned Hartsfield-Jackson the title of Best Concession Management Team from Airport Revenue News magazine.
In addition, Taggart supervised over 55,000-square-feet of new retail including food and beverage, news, gift, and business space as the director of concessions for Chicago’s Midway International Airport.
Taggart’s directions lead to Chicago Midway Airport to receive the name of “Best Mid-Airport” in 2005.
Although Taggart’s new position means big changes at Tallahassee Regional, many residents don’t know the implications of those changes.
Chauncey Holton, 36, unemployed Tallahassee native was unaware of the appointment, but hopes that it will garner improvements at the airport.
“From the little bit of time I have spent at the airport I would say it needs better parking, better waiting areas, and more shops or stores,” said Holton.
Tallahassee resident Robert Hogan agrees with Holton and added to wish list of airport amenities.
“They need shorter lines, bigger airlines, and better airfare,” said Hogan, a resident of the city’s Southside.
Taggart and his colleagues already have plans in place for the physical and commercial expansion of the airport.
“We are looking for Tallahassee to be an airport of choice for patrons throughout the north and south Florida regions. We also want our airport to become a calling card to our city by establishing sense of place, modernization, creating economic development, and improving passenger satisfaction,” said Taggart.
He also highlighted some of the ways he wants to improve the Tallahassee Regional Airport. They include: increased advertising for the airport; incentives for travelers of the airport; and attracting local retail businesses to the facility.
“There are two ways I want to introduce new products and services for the traveling public in
Tallahassee’s airport. The first way is through advertising, cool new concepts like spas, create specialty retail and introduce locally based food and beverage locations at our airport.”
The passenger terminal at Tallahassee regional was built in 1989 and after few renovations, the facility is aesthetically unappealing. Taggart plans to change that as well.
The second is economic development inside and outside the airport. “We want to modernize the airport. We want to make our airport look modern. Right now it is not modern, it is very dated. We are trying to bring it into the 21st century,” said Taggart.