By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.—A funny thing happened on the way to retirement for Bob Nolan.
Nolan, who served for 14 years as the Veterans’ Services Officer for Henry County, has been hired as the new Henry County Airport Manager and he couldn’t be happier.
“I had intended to retire, but this position became open and it was just an ideal opportunity for me,” Nolan said. His background has prepared him for the position, with Nolan having 29 years in aviation for the Marine Corps under his belt. His bachelor degree also is in aeronautics.
Nolan is the full-time manager at the Airport, with Gerald Lawrence serving as assistant.
“It’s awesome,” Nolan said. “I’m just loving it. Don’t get me wrong. I totally loved being the Veterans’ Services Officer for the county. It was very satisfying being able to help veterans and their wives but 14 years was a long time and this is a good change for me.”
Nolan replaces Don Davenport, who retired earlier this year after two decades as airport manager, a time period which saw tremendous growth at the airport. Davenport received the Loyal Patriot Award, the highest award that can be bestowed on an individual in Henry County, upon his retirement.
Replacing Nolan as Veterans’ Services Officer is Jon Bolding of Paris, who Nolan said “has a great personality and will do a great job for the veterans”. Bolding retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years and he has driven the veterans’ services van locally for the past three years.
Bolding said he entered the Air Force right after graduation from Henry County High School.
“When I retired I initially came back to Henry County to try and talk my mom into retiring and help her around the house. That and just enjoy retirement. Fishing, hunting, playing golf and traveling to visit my kids,” he said.
Bolding joined the American Legion Post 89 shortly after he returned and that was where he heard about the Veteran Services Office needing volunteers to drive the veteran van to the VA in Nashville.
“I’ve been doing for almost three years,” he said. “It was a wonderful experience and I met a lot of wonderful people and it’ll be something I miss doing. Driving those veterans and having family and neighbors who were veterans that helped me and gave me guidance as grew up, it just seemed that it was meant to be that the position became available.”
Bolding said, “I look at it as a way for me to pay all that assistance and direction I received when I was younger forward to the Henry County community.”
Randy Prince will continue as assistant in the Veterans’ Office and Bolding said, “He is an integral part of that office, especially with it going from having someone as knowledgeable as Mr. Nolan running it, to me” just learning the ropes of the office now.
Photo of Bob Nolan at Airport by David Jackson.