Frontier Airlines (Nasdaq: FRNT ) today named industry veteran Paul H. Tate to the position of vice president and chief financial officer. In his new position, Tate, 50, will lead all finance functions and will report to Frontier President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Potter. Prior to Tate’s arrival, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sam Addoms handled the company’s chief financial officer duties.

“Paul brings over 26 years of financial experience to Frontier, including 20 years of aviation finance experience, and we are extremely pleased that he has joined Frontier,” said Potter. “Paul’s knowledge and experience in the area of capital planning, specifically as it relates to our Airbus aircraft financing project, will be invaluable as we continue our Airbus transition project.”

Tate most recently served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Colgan Air, which operates as US Airways Express and is a regional code share partner of US Airways. Prior to that, he served as president and chief operating officer of Agrilogic, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in agricultural econometrics and crop insurance. His 20 years of aviation experience includes time with Dulles, Va.-based Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings, Inc., where he served as senior vice president, finance, chief financial officer and treasurer; Reno, Nev.-based Reno Air, Inc., where he served as vice president, finance, chief financial officer and treasurer; and Chicago, Ill.-based Midway Airlines, Inc., where he served as vice president, information systems and vice president/controller. Additionally, between 1992 and 1993, Tate was managing director at Chicago-based Foster and Associates, a CPA firm, and his past experience also includes five years with the Chicago office of Ernst & Young. Tate is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor of arts in economics and an MBA in finance and accounting from Northwestern University. He formerly served as a member of the Loudoun County, Va. Interfaith Relief Food Bank’s board of directors, and is a former chairman and a member of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Citizen Advisory Board. He and his wife, Tracie, have three children and plan to relocate to Denver, Colo.

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