Director named for Military Growth Task Force

By Amanda Hickey

Daily News Staff 

JACKSONVILLE - A former Marine has been tapped to head the Military Growth Task Force.

Thomas Gaskill of Havelock, a retired colonel, will begin his new assignment as the vice president and executive director of the task force on July 7. His main role is to serve as the the primary point of contact between the military, the communities of the Military Growth Task Force region and state and federal agencies. Gaskill's starting salary, according to the North Carolina's Eastern Region, will be $130,000.

"I'm excited about the job," Gaskill said. "There's a lot of work done and there's a lot of work to do."

His hiring was announced Thursday as the task force met at the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce, where the group will be headquartered.

He isn't the only one excited about the announcement.

"We are very pleased that Mr. Gaskill has accepted this important position," said Al Delia, president of North Carolina's Eastern Region.

The Military Growth Task Force has been set up to manage the growth expected in seven eastern counties as a result of an impending troop build-up. Gaskill will be working with seven teams already established by the task force: communications and government affairs, housing, work force, transportation, education, infrastructure and local government managers and planners.

"The first thing is to continue the great work that's being done and to get out there and meet the key officers and stakeholders and find out what their concerns and ideas are," Gaskill said.

Gaskill is filling the seat left empty after William B. Purtell stepped down for health reasons.

Gaskill is a former chief of staff of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. He previously served as the human resources director at 2nd MAW, the Marine Forces Central Command liaison to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain and the commanding officer of the Headquarters Squadron at Cherry Point.

Gaskill has a bachelor of arts degree in communications arts and sciences from the University of Southern California, a master of business administration from the University of Phoenix and a master of strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

The task force, which first met in January, began under North Carolina's Eastern Region, a 13-county economic development group based in Kinston.

The N.C. Eastern Region gave the task force a $100,000 grant to begin planning for a military growth build up projected at about 61,000 people, including family and civil service, by 2011. Estimates have since been revised to 78,230 people by 2009.

Almost half of those are expected to come to Onslow County.

Onslow is expected to receive 40 percent of the growth, while Craven will receive 25 percent, Carteret will receive 15 percent and Pamlico, Jones, Pender and Duplin counties each having 5 percent.

New Bern Sun Journal staff writer Sue Book contributed to this report.