She starts her new position on Monday.
Gentry has worked for the airport for 26 years. She is the financial officer for the airport and the pretreatment coordinator.
She has a two-year degree from Richmond Community College and studied accounting for four years.
Today is the last day for interim airport Director Paul Davis. He announced his resignation at the March commission meeting.
Before going into closed session, Davis expressed optimism about the airport receiving money for the proposed $19.2 million runway renovations.
He said that, in the weeks since the joint meeting on the runway, the airport has seen some movement towards receiving funding.
According to Davis, Marlowe & Co., the airport's lobbying firm the airport, has asked U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell for $5 million towards the budget. Davis added that Kissell has sent the request to an appropriate House subcommittee.
He also said that state Rep. Doug Yongue set up a meeting with the president of Golden Leaf to talk about the airport's needs to the group.
Davis said he also had heard back from Dion J. Viventi, the airport project manager for DOT, and that Viventi told him that nearly a third of the time at DOT's internal meetings are spent discussing how to secure funding for airport.
Davis also said that Yongue is looking into other sources for state funding for the cash-strapped airport.
The airport commission heard a brief presentation from Angie Mettlen of WK Dickson, a company that is rehabbing a well for the airport.
Mettlen told the commission that her company is trying to get a grant from the Rural Center for the $169,000 project.
The grant will cover 50 percent of the project, Mettlen said.
She said that, if they can't get the 50 percent rule waved, the company would apply for a grant from the Economic Development Administration.
These grants would allow the project to proceed without additional funding from the airport, she said.
She also said the grant applications are being prepared for free by WK Dickson.
Dean asked Mettlen about the capacity of the new well. She told the commissioner that she did not know the specific quantities, but said that it would be more than enough for the current and future needs.
Dean also asked about the WestPoint Stevens Initiative, which is rehabbing the nearby water plant for several municipalities.
Mettlen said that it was viable for the future but stressed that it was a long-term project.
"You are not wasting any money... on this well," Mettlen said.
Mickey Oxendine, head of the water and sewer operations for the airport, told the commission his department's revenues were down.
One reason is that Butler Manufacturing is reusing its water, he said.
"They will use the water three or four times before disposing of it," Oxendine said.
He said that, outside of that, everything is running well with the plants.
The commission also approved the budget for next year that projected $80,000 for a new executive director and eliminated an unfilled position.
The budget also called for a 10 percent increase on water and sewer fees to make up for increases in cost and decreases in use.
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