The Martha’s Vineyard Airport commission is welcoming two new members after they were voted in by the Dukes County Commission late last month.
County commission members on Jan. 21 appointed James Rubens and Lawrence Crocker to join the airport board, and voted to return Geoff Wheeler for a third term. The three were among five candidates considered by the commission. William Craven and Stacy Malecki also applied but were not chosen.
The airport commission provides oversight for the county-owned airport that handles tens of thousands of passengers annually. The board is appointed on three-year terms by the county commission.
All of the candidates but Mr. Wheeler were interviewed; the county often doesn’t interview incumbents for appointed positions.
County officials were drawn in by Mr. Rubens past experience on the airport commission’s finance subcommittee. He also was a parks commissioner in the mainland town of Weston before moving to the Vineyard.
He hoped that would make for a smooth transition onto the commission.
“I’ve had a pretty good head start and would love to keep it going,” he said.
A lawyer with expertise in financial, real estate and environmental matters, Mr. Rubens said one of the biggest priorities for him would be dealing with traffic at the airport entrance and Edgartown-West Tisbury Road.
“If you asked Islanders, that would probably be the most important thing,” he said. “I’d like to help figure out, get my hands dirty helping with that.”
Lawrence Crocker also had deep governmental experience, serving as a hearing officer and an attorney with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Mr. Crocker, according to his application, was also general counsel for the D.C. Public Service Commission and a legal advisor to the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
County Commissioner Don Leopold said Mr. Crocker had even taken a part-time job at regional airline Cape Air to learn about the airport’s inner workings.
During his interview, Mr. Crocker said he wanted to use his past experience to help keep the airport commercial terminal expansion on schedule to be completed in 2028.
“I think my first year priorities, especially since I’m familiar with working at the airport, would be to ensure that we stay on track with completing the major renovation that’s going on,” he said.
Mr. Wheeler is a senior vice president and board member of Ricondo and Associates, which he described as one of the largest privately-owned airport consultant firms in North America. A licensed pilot, his entire 50-year working career has been in the aviation industry.
The two newcomers are replacing outgoing members Jack Ensor and Robert Zeltzer.
This article appears in February 6, 2026.