SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO An aerial view of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s campus in spring.

The Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors approved Kyle Smith as interim Vice President of College Relations at their December meeting. Smith, who served as the executive director of College Relations and the Penn College Foundation, will replace Loni Kline, who had held the position since 2017.

In other actions, the board approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and right of way easement agreement for Airport Road.

The easement was sought by the Lycoming County Airport Authority in order to extend Montour Street in the Montoursville Borough in order to create another access to the airport.

“There’s a variety of reasons for this, and years in the making,” said Pat Marty, Chief Government & International Relations Officer at the college.

“It’s largely immaterial to us, although it makes a nice arrival sequence certainly for the college to have that road come into the Lumley Aviation Center, which is a very beautiful building,” Marty said.

He explained that in order for the work to be done, the authority wants to “access a litany of federal programs which makes it more difficult.”

“Obviously one of those things they need to do, if they cross the railroad tracks, is to bring that road slightly south because a 53-foot trailer can’t overhang the rail,” Marty said.

“It’s not a high speed line, by any means, but still, it’s hard to stop a train,” he added.

The road, which is currently owned by the borough needs to be vacated to the airport authority, which the college had to consented to and then the authority would open the entirety of Airport Road all the way to its terminus, Marty said.

“The second piece of this is an MOU that basically the college, if and when they are able to do this work would then transfer the roadway to the airport authority for the new road and then at the end of construction we would get the land back under the old road, so it’s just a flipflop,” he said.

“They will keep us whole on parking and ensure that we have access before, during and after construction in perpetuity, whether it’s us or any successor owner of that land,” Marty said.

Marty pointed out that the college’s ownership of the property is grandfathered in and that “you would never get away with owning property inside of an airport authority like this today.”

“We’re very lucky to have (the) property as an owner as opposed to a tenant,” he added.

In other actions, the board approved the review of the mission, vision and values of the college following a presentation by Dr. Andrea Campbel, dean of students and Dr. Jennifer McLean, assistant dean of curriculum and instruction. The two co-chaired a committee that had undertaken the review of the mission, vision and values and the development of the college’s next strategic plan which will run from 2026 to 2030.

The next board meeting will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 5.