The airport created the Gate Assignment section of Airside Operations in late 1977 before the E-Satellite opened for flights. Aviation Director Richard Judy liked the way certain European airports controlled their gates instead of leasing them out to airlines on long-term leases and he wanted all existing common-use gates and the new Satellite gates to be under control of the airport instead of letting one of the three service companies (Aircraft Service International, Dispatch Services and DynAir) assign the gates. The old 20th Street Ramp Office on top of Concourse E (formerly Concourse 4) interior was remodeled to provide plenty of counter space and other niceties were added to make the office more functional than just several individual desks. We couldn't see the west side of the E-Satellite from this office and had to rely on ramp cars and voice traffic on the ground control frequency to let us know when aircraft arrived or pushed back from our gates.

Clair Sherrick was hired into Airside Operations on the same day (March 11, 1974) as Tony Dinkins, Joe Davidson who transferred to Terminal Operations within the first year and me. Clair transferred in from the airport's Security Division where he had worked for a year. We worked together as ramp agents, agent gate controllers and as senior agents. I was promoted to Supervisor of Gate Control in October 1986 and shortly thereafter Clair was given the job of Auxiliary Airport Manager at Tamiami Airport where he oversaw that airport, Homestead General Airport and Training & Transition Airport (TNT) out in the Everglades. He replaced Tony Silvaroli who left the Aviation Department and county employment. Clair retired as Auxiliary Airport Manager and his memoriam gallery is at: http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/mem_clairsherrick .