The board of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport convened Tuesday morning for its first regular monthly meeting since the death of Bryan Malinowski, the airport’s former executive director.
Malinowski died after a shootout with federal agents at his home in West Little Rock on March 19. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were serving a search warrant that morning related to Malinowski’s allegedly illegal sale of guns when he opened fire, according to a statement from the agency.
The agents fired back, striking Malinowski, who died two days later on March 21. He was 53. One ATF agent was shot, but the injury was not life-threatening.
Bill Walker, chair of the airport commission, opened the meeting Tuesday with a moment of silence. The six commissioners then met in private to discuss the executive director position. They returned after about 45 minutes and voted to give Malinowski a $24,000 bonus, launch an employment search for a new executive director, and give a 7% pay raise to the acting interim director.
Tom Clarke, who served under Malinowski as the airport’s deputy assistant director, was named to the interim role on March 19. The pay raise will be retroactive to include the work Clarke has already completed. His new salary is $237,968.66.
Walker took additional time to speak about the loss of Malinowski and his leadership during a report later in the meeting.
“I know this is a difficult, challenging period for all of us,” Walker said. “I talked to this entire commission, folks from all over our city and around the county that respected and appreciated and saw and witnessed the work of Bryan Malinowski. We’re better because he came this way and he spent some time with us.”
Commissioner Patrick Schueck made the motion for Malinowski’s bonus after the executive session. He said the bonus would be awarded to Malinowski because of his “very productive year with the execution of the contract with [Dassault] Falcon Jet” and “help with funding through grants for projects,” such as a new canopy at the airport’s passenger drop-off area.
Schueck said the bonus followed the airport’s historic practices. It was approved unanimously.
A spokesperson said after the meeting that the $24,000 would be paid to Malinowski’s estate.
Mary Hennigan
Questions remain about the pre-dawn ATF raid on Malinowski’s home. It’s still unknown when and how federal agents announced themselves as they attempted to serve the warrant. The warrant itself, which was unsealed the day Malinowski died, doesn’t provide much insight. It says only that the agents were on-site because of two alleged violations: dealing in firearms without a license and unlawful acquisition of a firearm.
An affidavit alleges Malinowski purchased at least 150 guns over the past three years, many of which he sold at gun shows or to private buyers in other settings. Six firearms that passed through Malinowski’s hands are known to have been recovered in the commission of a crime, the affidavit says, although at least half of the crimes it describes are marijuana possession. He sold three firearms to undercover agents.
