Airport Experience® News - Leadership 2022

LEADERSHIP ISSUE 2022 / V20 N244

VOICES OF LEADERSHIP

It's n

what is leadership?

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not about titles

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LEADERSHIP ISSUE 2022

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dear Valued Readers,

Welcome to the Inaugural Airport Experience Leadership Issue. It’s hard to believe that we are already at the end of another year - it feels like we were all just together in Orlando for AXC 2022. As we look to wrap up the year it is timely for us to stop and reflect on the industry’s numerous leaders who have led with a steady hand through this year of recovery. Our team envisioned this issue as a spotlight on the various facets of Leadership that are helping to guide our industry forward. In this special issue we celebrate the vision, determination, influence and innovation of leaders from many of the industry’s airports and companies. As you turn the pages you will garner perspective from long-tenured leaders, emerging leaders, front line leaders, women in leadership, and much more. The creativity and passion that these individuals and organizations put into sharing their ethos with us is amazing. You will also get insights from leaders of industry associations who are advocating for the betterment of airports and airport concessions programs. As I continue to lead the AX Team through recovery and revitalization, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment of gratitude for all our partners. Without their support, the AXN media offering and the annual AX Conference would not be possible. To our advisory boards, advertisers, sponsors, exhibitors and supporters, I extend a big Thank You for your continued support of AXN and our mission to keep the industry connected. As we turn the calendar to 2023, AXN will continue to bring together all the various players of our industry as we collectively work toward a more robust, vibrant and engaging offer for the traveling public.

Warmest,

Melissa K. Montes Vice President & Publisher Airport Experience News

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6 AXN’s Director of the Year Jamie Rhee’s adept management of Chicago airports earned her the nod as AXN’s Director of the Year – large airports division. 11 Lauding Rhee Colleagues and leaders in Chicago government praise Jamie Rhee’s can-do approach and effervescent personality. 14 AXN’s Director of the Year Scott Brockman’s ability to reinvent Memphis International Airport (MEM) post-Delta hub, while keeping it a cargo stronghold, made him an obvious choice for AXN’s Director of the Year – medium airports division. 19 Inter-Personal Engagement Industry friends and colleagues say Scott Brockman’s people skills and genuine consideration of others sets him apart in airport management. 22 AXN’s Director of the Year Greg Kelly’s drive to better his own airport, Savannah-Hilton Head International (SAV), while at the same time devoting considerable effort to improve the broader airport industry prompted his award as AXN’s Director of the Year – small airports division. LARGE AIRPORTS MEDIUM AIRPORTS SMALL AIRPORTS

27 Helping Hand Allies in the industry say Kelly is widely known for his willingness to pitch in or offer advice or assistance, all for the good of the industry. 30 Defining Leadership Team members at all levels at SSP America share their unique perspectives on service, inspiration and connection, qualities that help drive the success of the company. 34 Next-Level Hospitality Airport Dimensions is redefining the airport lounge space, led by two powerful women: Mignon Buckingham and Nancy Knipp. 40 High Flying Women High Flying Foods spotlights women who are driving the company’s strategic growth and innovation. 44 Leadership Voices Female leaders at Paradies Lagardère discuss role models, support and empowerment on their career journeys. 48 A Tribute Marshall Retail Group shares a special tribute to longtime consultant Kevin Kern.

50 A Big Impact OTG celebrates the women who are helping to foster the company’s expansion and who are paving the way for future female leaders in the airport industry. 54 Gaining Access AMAC’s Eboni Wimbush shares her vision for expanding access to airport opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. 56 Big Lift ARRA’s AndrewWeddig outlines key goals for the concessionaire advocacy group as it seeks to evolve airport-operator relationships post-pandemic. 58 Future Planning FAA reauthorization and airport leadership development are two key goals of Todd Hauptli, who has just extended his contract with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). 60 Airport Advocacy ACI-NA’s Kevin Burke shares key challenges

and strategies as the airport industry continues is post-pandemic rebound.

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leoaf dership a legacy

Fromour operations at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to over 40 airport locations across North and South America, SSPAmerica’s goal has been to nurture a legacy of leadership. To hire teammembers inspired to not only growbut thrive. IAH has been a leadership incubator at SSPAmerica and the epicenter of SSPAmerica sincewe arrived in North America 15 years ago. Somany of our teammembers who started at IAH, have advanced their careers to serve in senior executive roles and been called to lead in other airports.Why? Our Houston leaders thrived due in large part because of their ability to build strong relationships and learn the business inside and out. They’ve served from the heart, and now they’re thriving in roles equal to their ability and potential.

TEAM

Desiree Hanson Executive Vice President Melissa Montes Vice President/Publisher Carol Ward Editor-in-Chief Jean Claude Chaouloff Business Development Manager

Andrew Tellijohn Senior Reporter Sally Kral Contributing Writer David Ward Contributing Writer

Barbara McCarter Portfolio Manager Chad Wimmer Senior Editorial Art Director Rae Lynn Cooper Production Manager Amanda Gochee Vice President, Marketing Strategy Paige Heady Senior Marketing Manager

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2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR LARGE AIRPORTS

FARM TO AIRPORT A Small Town Girl Rhee Thriving In Chicago Airports

BY ANDREW TELL I JOHN

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Right: The Chicago Department of Aviation recently finished a 16-year long effort to overhaul its runways at ORD. Now, it has embarked on efforts to expand Terminal 5 and build a new Global Terminal, so its carrier networks can each operate from single facilities.

Jamie Rhee’s path to becoming commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation was not a conventional one. She grew up washing tractors and cleaning chicken coops and pigpens on a farm in Geneseo, Illinois, which is closer to the Iowa state border than it is to O’Hare International Airport (ORD) . Leaving farm life behind, Rhee worked her way through law school, then began a career in the public sector, taking on any job or challenge at the city that was thrown her way. Now she’s leading billion-dollar capital investment projects and taking on leadership roles on airport industry boards, attracting supporters with an infectious personality on the way. In recognition of her ongoing efforts, Rhee has been named Director of the Year in the large airports division by Airport Experience News . Finding The Way Rhee has worked for the city of Chicago for nearly 30 years now, but her first foray into urban life didn’t quite work out. She left Geneseo, a town of about 6,500 people, after graduating high school and headed to Chicago. “I left home with $1,000 and a mattress on top of my Subaru,” she says. “I’m the first in my family to actually graduate college, let alone law school. I didn’t really have a sense of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I just kind of thought, ‘The big city – it’s universities, that’s where you go.’ I really quickly learned that probably Chicago wasn’t good for me at 17.” So, she transferred to Michigan State in Lansing, Michigan, where she got her bachelor’s degree. She returned to Chicago,

then backpacked in Europe for a time to experience overseas travel. Shemoved to Japan to study Japanese and teach English. Then she came back to Chicago to attend law school. Rhee, who speaks a half-dozen languages at a passable or better level, got her first job at the airport, working in customer service as an airport information representative. “The requirement was two languages plus English,” she says. “I said, ‘I can do that,’ and I went in and I applied. They interviewed me in different languages, and I got hired in a couple weeks.” She kept that job for five years while attending law school at night. Climbing The Ladder After graduating, Rhee went to work for the city’s planning department for a few years, overseeing all the city’s real estate holdings. She went from there to planning, then back to ORD, where she spent five years overseeing real estate acquisitions as the general counsel overseeing the Modernization program. Rhee left the airport system to work as deputy chief of staff overseeing seven departments for Mayor Richard Daley. Daley then assigned her to help clean up the city’s procurement department. She became director of that division in 2009 and spent 10 years making it easier and more transparent for companies of all sizes and demographics to bid on city projects. Early on, she recognized that the same companies were winning most of the city’s bids. She began wondering if it had to do with a lack of awareness of projects that were available. “People didn’t know the contract was even up, except for the incumbent,” Rhee

Left: Jamie Rhee has been with the city of Chicago for nearly 30 years, working her way up from customer service agent at ORD to commissioner of the Department of Aviation. Photo by Mary Rafferty.

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2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR LARGE AIRPORTS

says. “I said ‘we can fix that. Let’s do a buying plan. Let’s forecast. If we don’t know what we’re buying in a year, then we’ve got bigger problems’.” At first, “everybody went nuts.” But during her tenure, the city received national and international recognition for developing more than 20 programs and incentives to strengthen and streamline opportunities for small, minority- and women-owned businesses. “It made people think ‘If you’re telling me that it’s now going to be I’ve got a fair shot at this,’ then I will use my money, I will use my time and my resources and I will bid’,” she says. “We saw our numbers go from - especially in the African American space- from 2-3% to double-digits when I left. That was directly attributable to another 1,000 businesses being certified that actually got into the mix, that knew what the program was, how to bid, that there were resources available, that they had a fair shot.” Returning To Airports Rhee worked in procurement until 2018 when then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel hired her as commissioner of aviation. Emanuel had implemented O’Hare 21, calling for a bigger and more connected airport. The decade-long capital program will touch on most of the airport. Major projects include the expansion and modernization of Terminal 5, which started in 2019; the addition of two satellite concourses that will

help add gates that will accompany both narrow- and wide-body airplanes; and the new O’Hare Global Terminal, slated to be one of the largest and most cutting-edge terminals in the U.S. Ultimately, Rhee says, instead of having a terminal set aside solely for international travel - which led to periods of extreme activity and then long periods of inactivity - airlines will be paired with their domestic and international codeshare partners. Delta Air Lines recently moved from Terminal 2, which will be demolished, to Terminal 5. And ORD’s hub carriers, United Airlines and American Airlines , and their partners will be located in the Global Terminal. “You will have two ports of entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, one in Terminal 5 and one in the Global Terminal,” says Rhee, adding that the streamlined process will eliminate the need to take trains to other areas of the airport for connecting flights. “That means efficiency and money for these airlines. You go directly to your gate and never have to leave the secured area of the airport. Instead, you can spend your money on concessions.” Design is well underway on the new terminal, concourses and a pedestrian tunnel that will connect them. Ten gates and 350,000 square feet of space already have been added to Terminal 5. A five-story parking structure also is underway. Alderman Matt O’Shea, who chairs the city’s aviation committee, says the city has benefitted from having Rhee’s

leadership through all the work taking place at ORD. “There is nobody better to have led the Chicago Department of Aviation these past several years,” he says. “Jamie has a unique style of getting the most out of everybody and being a strong leader. She’s tough, but she’s fair. We’ve got an incredible investment going on at O’Hare. It’s a lot of moving parts and COVID did not make it any easier.” Across town, in recent years Rhee oversaw a major, half-billion upgrade at Midway International Airport (MDW) that is now largely complete. It was the biggest capital improvement program there since the current terminal opened in 2001, with security checkpoints, concessions options and parking expanded. The checkpoint expansion was especially impor tant given MDW’s struggles pre-COVID. The pandemic allowed for an acceleration of several of the projects. “They were having congressional hearings on what we were doing over at Midway because the TSA checkpoint was so backed up that everybody was missing flights,” Rhee says. Rhee’s tremendous work ethic, her bubbly personality and her leadership have really helped pull off these investments on behalf of the city, O’Shea says. “I say it all the time,” he says. “I hope people realize how lucky we are to have her as commissioner of the Department of Aviation.” Building A National Profile While all this work is taking place on Chicago’s two major airports, Rhee also is growing her profile nationally. She joined the Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) board of directors in 2021 and sits on several other boards, including the U.S. Travel Association Gateway Airports Council and World Travel & Tourism Council .

Left: Part of the overhaul at MDW included removing moving walkways and replacing them with restaurants, many of which have ties to iconic local venues.

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COMMISSIONER JAMIE L. RHEE CONGRATULATIONS TO Commissioner Rhee has worked tirelessly to turn our airports into opportunities for our residents — increasing their access to government services, connecting them to aviation-related educational programs, and so much more.

Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee

– Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot

2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR LARGE AIRPORTS

Above: Under Jamie Rhee’s leadership, Midway International Airport has undergone a $500 million overhaul of its TSA checkpoint and concessions.

She chairs ACI-NA’s U.S. Policy Council, which is a critical role at any time, but especially so as negotiations begin on another Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill in the year ahead, says Candace McGraw, CEO at Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), who sits on the same board. McGraw met Rhee at an ACI-NA CEO Forum a few years ago and was immediately struck by her energy. “She comes on with the bundle of energy she is - big energy, big heart, big ideas,” McGraw says. “Why do I love her so much? She is unapologetically authentic. She is what she is, she’s committed, she loves Chicago, she loves the people.” Her ability to survive in the role of commissioner across the terms of multiple mayors illustrates her competence and people skills, McGraw says, adding that she is unfailingly honest and brings with her an infectious personality. “She knows the business and is easy to get along with,” she says. “She’ll focus on the work and she gets things done. Being so authentic, she tells folks what she’s able to do. She speaks truth to power. She has a huge likeability factor.” Rhee treasures the opportunity to be involved in the industry during this time and she’s honored to have the policy council role. “It’s a really critical time in our industry,” Rhee says. “This is our one chance for all airports to say ‘what do we need to be able to keep delivering these services and amenities. What do we need by way of financing?What do we need by way of staffing changes or rulemaking authority or process changes and improvements?’” So far, she has impressed Kevin Burke, president and CEO of ACI-NA. He praises

her energy and says she was selected by peers to run the policy council. “That’s the council that makes recommendations to the board about the direction we go,” he says. “She has a tough job, but she does it really, really well and she’s a real benefit to our industry. She provides a lot of sound advice.” Building Her Own Family When she’s not building new terminals, TSA checkpoints, concession amenities and runways, Rhee is a gardener and outdoors woman. She’s an amateur carpenter. “That’s what my husband and I do,” she says. “We like to tear things down. I am pretty good at carpentry and he does the electrical and plumbing.” Together, they also have been providing foster homes to children in need through the city’s Family & Support Services division. “I don’t do a private agency, I go to the kids that I believe need it the most,” Rhee says. “If we are really concerned about the next generation then we need to act like it, because there’s a whole group of these kids that are being left behind.” The couple has adopted a now 7-year-old girl whose life she has been part of since the child was 18 months old. They now are in the process of adopting two more children, a 7-year-old and 9-year-old. “I’m going to end up with a whole mess of them before it’s over,” she quips. She also mentors kids through several other organizations, working to keep them on track while also letting them know there are people who can help them. She also uses it as a potential workforce development opportunity by introducing them to aviation. During airport tours with youngsters, she

Top Right: The Chicago Department of Aviation recently unveiled a Terminal 5 concourse extension at O’Hare International Airport that added 10 gates, concessions and other amenities. Above: The city of Chicago depends on its two large international airports for connecting businesses, winning convention business and staying competitive in the global marketplace.

likens, for example, being an air traffic controller role to playing a giant video game. “That’s what I want, touching these kids one at a time,’ Rhee says. “If I can get themout here for a tour, I guarantee you they’re going to do something at the airport,” she says. In themeantime, whether it’s procurement, aviation or elsewhere, Rhee is just focused on doing her job and continuing to learn and grow. After all, after growing up cleaning chicken coops on the family farm, much of this comes easy. “Every job I’ve ever had, I feel like has prepared me for the next job,” she says. “That’s why I really love the city and I’ve never left. I feel like I’m still learning. Everything that I’ve learned has helped me do my job now.”

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2022 LARGE AIRPORTS DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Rhee Wins Over Industry With Infectious Personality, Ability To Get Things Done ENERGYAND HONESTY

BY ANDREW TELL I JOHN

Jamie Rhee’s energy, approachability and honesty are easily apparent to those who have seen her work and know her well. Before returning to the Chicago Department of Aviation, she instituted several improvements to the city’s procurement program, providing more opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses. She’s overseen the completion of the O’Hare Modernization program that replaced intersecting runways with parallel ones, gotten another significant series of infrastructure projects underway at O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and helped usher in significant upgrades at Midway International Airport (MDW) , as well. And she’s done so in an authentic, upfront manner that has made her popular with nearly every constituent with whom she’s crossed paths. Here are the thoughts of several industry, civic and political leaders with whom she has worked.

KEVIN BURKE president and CEO of Airports Council International – North America “If there’s ever a person who had actu ally more energy than me, it would be Jamie. I have a lot of energy, but boy, she puts me to shame. She just has

DICK DURBIN Senator, D-Illinois

“Commi s s i one r Rhee has proven to be an excellent leader, keeping both Midway and O’Hare airports in top shape as they serve as major trans portation hubs. Her experience overseeing the Midway Modern

done an amazing job. She’s in the middle of a huge construc tion project in Chicago. They’ve completed their East-West runway projects there. Now they’re working on the terminal expansions. There’s always something going on in Chicago. Their traffic picked up considerably. She’s viewed as a leader in our industry.”

ization Program and the launch of the O’Hare 21 initia tive, in addition to maintaining airport operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, have more than earned her this year’s title of Director of the Year, Large Airports Division by Airport Experience News. I look forward to continue working alongside Commissioner Rhee to keep our airports some of the best in the country.”

TODD HAUPTLI president and CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives

“She started there when she was in law school as a customer service officer at the airport. She was a foreign language assistant. She speaks many languages. And she goes from a customer service officer to then, after law school and doing some other things, she ends up being the general counsel for their whole O’Hare Modernization Program. And then she goes on to be the chief procurement officer for the city and then comes back as the top dog, the commissioner for the Department of Aviation. I just think that’s a wonderful arc, particularly in Chicago, where if you look at the history of the commissioners, it tends to be a political appointment that lasts 18 months, 24 months and then there is somebody new. She has spanned several mayoral administrations at this point and has decades of service for the city of Chicago and the Department of Aviation. She’s just great.”

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2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR LARGE AIRPORTS

CANDACE MCGRAW CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) “I met her at an ACI CEO Forum a few years ago. She comes on with the bundle of energy she is. She has big energy, a big heart, big ideas. Why do I love her so much? She is unapologetically committed, she loves Chicago, she loves people. She knows the business. She’s easy to get along with. She focuses on the work and she gets things done. Being so authentic, she tells folks what she’s able to do. She speaks truth to power. She has a huge likeability factor, a tangible likeability. She’s remarkable.”

LYNN OSMOND president and CEO of Choose Chicago

“Choose Chicago is responsible for selling the larg est convention center in North America. That’s 2.6 million square feet of exposition space. So, the airports are critical to us because we bring in small cities with our conventions. For example, with the recent manu facturing show, IMTS [International Manufacturing Technology Show], we brought in 86,000 people. The reason we get shows like that is because we have these incredible airports. O’Hare and Midway are critical to our sales strategy. Jamie’s just done a phenomenal job with the O’Hare Modernization program and improv ing the process for millions of visitors to come through. The new Terminal 5 extension is really going to be exciting. She’s done a lot of improvements at Midway. She’s a world-class leader.”

ALDERMAN MATT O’SHEA chair of the city’s Aviation Committee

“Jamie is self-made. She grew up in a little town. She started at the airport as a greeter and worked her way through law school. She climbed the ladder, not

because she knew somebody, not because she had a name, not because she came from somewhere, but because of her work ethic and her lead ership. I say it all the time – I hope people realize how lucky we are to have her as commissioner of the Depart ment of Aviation. I really enjoy a strong relationship with Jamie Rhee and the team she has assembled. She’s a class act.”

LORI LIGHTFOOT mayor of Chicago

“Because of her passionate advocacy for accountability, equity and inclusion in City government, no one is more deserving of Director of the Year than Commissioner Rhee. In addition to her impeccable leadership over both O’Hare and Midway International Airports, Commissioner Rhee has worked tirelessly to turn our airports into opportu nities for our residents — increasing their access to government services, connecting them to aviation-related educational programs and so much more. I want to congratu late her on receiving this tremendous honor and thank her for her nearly three decades of service to our great city.”

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SMALL AIRPORTS

LARGE AIRPORTS

MEDIUM AIRPORTS

Gregory Kelly Executive Director of the Savannah Airport Commission

Jamie Rhee Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation

Scott Brockman President & CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority

Thank you for your leadership!

Congratulations, Gregory, Jamie and Scott, for earning the Director of the Year Awards by AXN. Your drive to continually push forward your airports, and our industry, is as impressive as it is appreciated. We are excited and thankful to call you partners and friends.

paradieslagardere.com

2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR MEDIUM AIRPORTS

REINVENTION AT

People Skills Help Brockman Conquer MEM Air Service, Concourse Overhauls

BY ANDREW TELL I JOHN

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MEM

Right: Scott Brockman, president and CEO at MEM, has been active in the broader industry. Service Award from AAAE, the highest the organization gives. He received a Distinguished

When Scott Brockman got to college his aspirations had nothing to do with airports. The six-foot-five, built-like-a-rock athlete with a live armwanted to pitch in the major leagues. “I had no intention of working for a living,” says the long-time president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority that overseas Memphis International Airport , with a laugh. “I wanted to play for a living. And that didn’t turn out very well.” Brockman tore up his shoulder at a college that didn’t have the budget to surgically repair and rehab him. So, he shifted gears, got an accounting degree and headed into the working world. That turned out better, though it still took a few twists and turns before he discovered airports. But once he got there, he was hooked. And as he approaches retirement, Brockman can look back at having helped the city of Memphis rebuild its air service after being de-hubbed by Delta Air Lines ; at unveiling earlier this year the airport’s newly modernized Concourse B, which was renovated to downsize the airport to meet its new origin and destination status; and at a career of mentorship and helping others. For his efforts Brockman was named Director of the Year for theMediumAirport Category. How It All Began While it has worked out well, Brockman’s road to success was not a straight one. After his baseball prospects fizzled and he earned his degree, he went to work as an accountant. It wasn’t initially a fit. “I didn’t like working for a CPA firm,” he says. “This will tell you a lot about me. It was far too regimented. There were far

too many boundaries and people that were low on the totem pole had nothing to say of value. Even if you did, that’s what they told you. ‘You’re too young in your career to add anything to this conversation, so please don’t add anything.’ And I didn’t like that.” He worked for a smaller firm that went through a merger with a larger company that did not go well. The companies ultimately decided to split, and Brockman left shortly thereafter. He’d seen an advertisement in the Bradenton Herald for an accounting job at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). He applied in October, didn’t hear back until February. When they did call, Brockman was hired to help manage the financial side of a new terminal project that opened in 1989. “It was fabulous, I loved it,” he says. “It was like a challenge junkie’s dream. It was fast moving and it was an airport that allowed me to do what I wanted to do.” Learning The Ropes The beauty of his situation, Brockman says, is that if he got his work done, his boss would let him go hang out with properties, maintenance, operations and other departments so he could learn the ropes. “He’d say ‘where are we on this and this?’” Brockman says. “I’d say ‘It’s all done, it’s in your inbox.’ He’d say ‘okay, go hang out with somebody.’ And that’s how I got addicted to airport management.” He likened his early days there to his early years growing up the son of entrepreneurial parents who ran a hotel in Bradenton Beach, FL. He learned a lot at a young age while removing dead fish from the beach, chasing down beach furniture in a storm and performing some light maintenance.

Above: Brockman unveils the newly renovated Concourse B, a spacious facility with technology galore, natural lighting and lots of local food and art.

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2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR MEDIUM AIRPORTS

“I could single-handedly change a wall air conditioner by myself in about 30 minutes,” he says. “I’d size it, get a replacement unit out of a shed, wheel it over to the room, pull the old one out, put it on the cart, put the new one in and frame around it, insulate, put the molding back up and be done. It may not have been painted perfectly, but the room was cool again.” “You learn,” he adds, “these odd little skills that, for some reason, come into play in an airport.” He worked at SRQ until moving on to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) and then to Tucson International Airport (TUS) , where he was vice president of finance and administration. He arrived at MEM in 2003 and spent 10 years learning the ropes before replacing Larry Cox, who had worked at the airport for 41 years, as president and CEO in 2014. Everything Falls Apart Just as Cox was planning to retire and Brockman was preparing to take the helm, Delta Air Lines was minimizing its presence at MEM, which led ultimately to closing down its hub in late 2013. While it was scary for the region at the time, it also put Brockman face-to-face with leaders in the community early on in his tenure, a process that he nailed, says Beverly Robertson, president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber.

“There were lots of people who were very concerned when we were de-hubbed,” she says. “He engaged them in dialogue and discussion about the next steps for the airport and strategically where will we go. What he did was pretty brilliant. He never gave up on trying to identify airlines who could be hubbed here. Approaching them, he was very proactive.” In the end, Brockman helped land a number of smaller airlines and got several existing providers to increase routes. It wasn’t easy, but he navigated the region and the airport through the challenges with positivity and hard work. “There were a couple of things we came out and said,” Brockman notes. “Here’s our mantra, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to have a relentless pursuit of frequent and affordable air service. We’re going to hit the trail and we’re going to tell every airline that didn’t know about Memphis because it was dominated by a hub – that never really looked at Memphis – we’re going to tell them the story of why they need to think about Memphis.” The other was getting everyone in the airport on board with providing “a positive MEMorable travel experience,” a slogan he acknowledges was a bit corny, but was also memorable. “I said, ‘If we can get everyone to think in terms of ‘howdo Imake this experience better, how do I make it positively MEMorable,’ then we are going to deliver on a promise,”

he says. “And that is to transport people in an efficient, effective and comfortable way. And it’s all about the people.” All About The People For Brockman, it really has always been about the people. The modernized Concourse B opened in February 2022 and received numberous accolades. It’s spacious. It features local food, retail and art. “Every time I walk through that airport I am grinning from ear to ear,” says the Chamber’s Robertson. But of all of the concourse’s characteristics, what about the project makes Brockman the proudest? The facility’s spacious and convenient restrooms. During a recovery period from a recent health situation, Brockman learned firsthand of the challenges faced by people who struggle with mobility. After that, he called together the team planning the new concourse and told them to redraw the restrooms so anyone with such challenges could get around easily. “What I learned in that process is that we are all ADA compliant, but compliance does not mean we’re accessible or really comfortable for people that need mobility assistance, whether its walkers, wheelchairs or scooters,” he says. “I came back and said, ‘I want to sit down with y’all and go through the plans and I want to get the designers together and I want to talk about how these restrooms are going to flow, because we’re not going to do this.’” The result is bathrooms with wide openings, especially around turns, accessible sinks and soap, towels and blowers located conveniently near each sink. “You have no idea how difficult it is for people that are older and that need assistance,” he says. “I understand it’s a beautiful facility, lots of natural light, technology galore. … It took an entire thought process to make sure those bathrooms are right. And it took a lot of people getting on board with it and going ‘Yeah, we’re going to figure this out.’” So, yes, while Brockman is happy with how the entire project turned out, he’s happiest about having restrooms that can comfortably be used by passengers of at all levels of mobility.

Left: Under Scott Brockman’s leadership, MEM has navigated adding commercial airfare but also kept a strong partnership with cargo partner FedEx.

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Congratulations to our President & CEO scott a. brockman director of the year, medium airports division Airport Experience Magazine

From everyone at Memphis International Airport and the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, we express our sincerest thanks for your leadership. From the completion of our beautiful new concourse, to being named one of the best local employers, and everything in between—we couldn’t have done it without you.

2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR MEDIUM AIRPORTS

And, while this will be among the signature projects of his career, he’s proudest during that timeframe of having established great relationships and having worked with young people to help them advance their careers, as others, like Cox, helped him. Because he truly does try to keep it all about the people. “We build it for the millions of travelers,” he says. “We don’t build it so that we can stand out in front of it and point at it and say, ‘Throw me a party, look what I did.’ It’s bricks and mortar and steel. People say, ‘What is your legacy?’ I said, ‘My legacy’s not projects.’ We all build stuff. I mean, if you’re going to have a legacy, my legacy is the people. It’s the connections. It’s the teams. It’s the mentoring.” He has consciously taken the time to pass along his knowledge whenever asked to many young people, whether they’ve been in the industry or not. Cyrus Callum, director of aviation and economic resources at Volusia County in Florida, says Brockman was on the board of examiners when he was going for his certifications through AAAE. “He always encouraged me to try to be more a part of that organization, to be everything I could be within it,” Callum says. “He mentored me like a father would a son.” Callum has gotten close enough to Brockman to call him “Pops” and says aviation as a whole has benefited from Brockman’s work and willingness to talk with anyone he meets. “He has never held anything close at guard,” Callum says. “He’s always been the type to share his success stories to further progress the status of the industry.” Industry Stalwart Industry-wide, whether mentee, peer or mentor, Brockman is seen as sharp as a tack, but laid back, friendly and approachable. He’s given a lot back, as well, especially through his service in

the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). He was chai r of the national organization, he spent many years as chair of the audit committee, he’s won the AAAE Distinguished Service Award. “He’s a strong leader,” says Todd Hauptli, president and CEO of AAAE. “He’s one of these people who’s just very selfless when it comes to giving of his time and treasure to the organization and to the industry. He’s just a really good guy.” Brockman is, Hauptli acknowledged, a “numbers guy,” but one with a big heart who can talk to anyone. He’s done a tremendous job, Hauptli adds, not just recovering from the de-hubbing, but at balancing the delicate relationship with FedEx, a massive tenant, without being pushed around. The FedEx presence makes MEM the largest cargo airport in North America and one of the largest in the world. “There’s a balancing act that you have to do there to make sure you’re taking care of your big anchor tenant, but you’re also not just rolling over for them all the time,” Hauptli says. “You have to balance that out with the rest of the needs of the passenger carriers at your facility and your other tenants. That’s not easy.” Team Award Brockman will leave his role at the end of 2023, passing the baton as the airport prepares to take on its next project, overhauling its terminal building. A stickler for succession planning, he thinks he’s built a deep bench at MEM that will ensure the momentum carries along whether it promotes from within or conducts a search for his replacement. He plans, as of now, for this retirement to be a true retirement. He wants to take a step back, play golf, fish or do whatever strikes him in the moment, at least for a while.

Above Left: Local alcohol is available to purchase in the new Concourse B at MEM via the Distillery District. The facility emphasizes local food, products, music and art. Middle: The Grizz Grill, a Memphis Grizzlies-themed restaurant and bar, represents the airport’s focus on locally themed businesses. Right: Of all features of the new concourse at MEM, Scott Brockman’s pride is spacious restrooms set up so people who struggle with mobility have the space they need to use them comfortably.

Beyond that, “I won’t know until I know,” he says. In a further nod to the importance Brockman puts on people, he sums up his feelings about the Director of the Year award and all the challenges he’s faced and successes he’s experienced through his career by passing along credit. “I go into the community and people just gush about how fabulous the new concourse is and what a great job you did with that,” he says. “I tell them, I’m just blessed by being the one you all praise for it. There are hundreds of people that worked a lot harder than I did to make this happen. I just happen to be the front person for the fame and fortune.” For Brockman, it’s a nice accolade but one that wouldn’t be possible without a well-assembled team of colleagues and experience gained from working with others. “None of us do this for awards,” he says. “We do it because we love it. And quite frankly, I’ve been blessed. I’ve worked for four fabulous organizations. I’ve had really great boards and I’ve had just wonderful people to work around.”

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2022 MEDIUM AIRPORTS DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

GENTLE GIANT Brockman Earned Respect, Credibility Rebuilding MEM And Leading Nationally

BY ANDREW TELL I JOHN

Scott Brockman took over the role of president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority in 2014, taking over for another stalwart, Larry Cox. He did so as Delta Air Lines was deciding to de-hub Memphis International Airport , leaving him with the lead role in rebuilding the city and region’s air service and collective self-esteem. He assumed leadership roles with the American Association of Airport Executives, both nationally and in the Southeast Chapter. And he’s taken on all these roles and responsibilities in a welcoming and humble way that earned respect and goodwill across the industry. Here’s what Brockman’s partners, peers and friends have to say.

JAMES BENNETT principal at Paslay Group

CYRUS CALLUM director of aviation and economic resources for Volusia County FL and Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) “I call him Pops because he mentored me l ike a father

“He’s very approach able. Everybody in the industry appreciates his commitment to the business and his ability to reach across

all lines. He’s strong in terms of working with the young people coming into the business. A big effort that the indus try has been advancing has been trying to diversify the industry in terms of folks involved and get people excited about being in it. Scott has done a great job in those areas.”

would do a son, in terms of following in his footsteps and developing that craft. Our industry colleagues know I call him Pops. His wife refers to me as son because I call him Pops. … The fact of the matter is he has taken lots of time and energy out of his busy schedule to take me and my peers that share that same interest under his wing and he has given us the tools to develop into professionals and to be at the top of the class.”

MARK GALE CEO and director of aviation at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): “When you go around the room and they’re passing the microphone from person to person, Scott’s the guy who doesn’t need the microphone. He has a booming voice. He’s extremely charismatic, an extremely knowledgeable individual. He’s giant of a man, a towering figure, physically in terms of his stature coupled with his voice. He’s a figure that you’re not going to miss or dismiss. But I also liken him to, not a teddy bear, but he’s an individual who has an extremely warm heart and personality that make you feel very comfortable talking and sharing issues together.”

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2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR MEDIUM AIRPORTS

TODD HAUPTLI president and CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives “He’s just really good guy. He and I had these similar paths in that we both took over for long termCEOs. He took over for Larry Cox, who had been the Memphis CEO for, I don’t know, 30 years. And I took over for Chip Barclay, who’d been the CEO at AAAE for 30 years. And we both took over just about the same time. And there’s a certain challenge involved in taking over after somebody who’s run an organization for that long. There’s a long shadow cast. And he did a terrific job of creating his own organization and his own team. He had a pretty significant challenge early in his tenure in that Memphis was de-hubbed. That would be a very tough issue for any airport director, and I think it was a particularly tough issue to deal with inMemphis because they were used to having a lot more air service and a lot more options than similarly situated cities would otherwise have. So, there’s a piece that involves outreach to the community and education of the community and then having to go out and find different kinds of air service options for the community. That’s not an easy assignment. And he nailed it.”

KELLY JOHNSON former director at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) and founder of Kelly Johnson and Associates LLC “It takes a lot of vision and the ability to bring people together and coalesce. When Northwest and Delta did what they did I think their traffic dopped close to 60%. They basically reinvented themselves. That took a lot of guidance and leadership, community leadership community buy in and putting together a great team. Scott has done that. Getting the community on board and working to get the tenants, the airlines to see the vision, that’s not a small task. He’s done it with such grace he makes it look effortless.”

KEVIN KANE president and CEO of Memphis Tourism

“The concourse modernization, it wasn’t a renovation or sprucing it up, it’s a total transformation. People get off a flight in that concourse and people who have traveled to Memphis in the past are saying ‘am I in the wrong airport?’ Scott has led the $700 million renovation of our main terminal and baggage area. His fingerprints are all over our airport and our air service in this community. He’ll be missed by our community when he retires but he’s done an outstanding job serving not only the airport but our community.”

BEVERLY ROBERTSON president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber

“I’ll bet you just about every major business that toured that new concourse turned around, gave him a call, wrote him a note and thanked him deeply for all he has done for Memphis. When you create a front door, when people step off the plane and they see the art, the state of-the-art technology, the beautiful restrooms that are so awesome, the local artwork that’s featured there, the Memphis music they hear there, they get a taste and a flavor of the culture of the marketplace of Memphis and of the region. He has created a world-class asset here in Memphis, Tennessee, and we are so proud of him.”

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2022 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR SMALL AIRPORTS

SAVANNAH SUPERSTAR Greg Kelly’s Skills At SAV And Commitment To Airport Industry Earn Him DOY Status

BY C AROL WARD

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Right: SAV Director Greg Kelly has made a name for himself on the regional and national scale due to his long-standing commitment to working for the betterment of the entire industry. At the 2022 AX Conference, Kelly (right) was in conversation with Mark Gale of Fort Lauderdale International Airport and Rick Tucker (with wife), then of Huntsville International Airport.

For more than 30 years, Greg Kelly has built his career at a single airport. S avannah-Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) was a much smaller operation when Kelly first walked through the door in 1989 as a young intern eager to learn the airport management ropes. He did that with gusto, immersing himself in myriad opportunities to learn about different facets of airport operations. He embraced the broader airport community as well, learning from them and, later in his career, sharing his knowledge with other airport executives from around the country. For SAV, the 2010s were a period of significant growth, resulting in a peak year in 2019 before the pandemic hit. Now, with the pandemic on the wane, SAV is looking again at record passenger numbers and is preparing for future growth with a new terminal expansion plan. Kelly’s positive impact on SAV and on the broader airport community in North America is broadly acknowledged throughout the industry. This year, Airport Experience News is reinforcing those widely held beliefs by designating Kelly as its Director of the Year in the small airports division. The Early Years Kelly was serving in the U.S. military in the late 1980s when airports first came on his radar. “I knew I was getting out of the military, so I’d looked at career options and decided that airport management, based on the description of the job, was where I wanted to be,” he recalls. “So, I set out to find a way to get into airport management.” He simply found the closest airport to his base at Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield

in Georgia, which happened to be what was then Savannah International Airport. He applied for and was granted an internship in 1989, launching what would be a robust career in airport management. “It was a two-year internship and I rotated through all the departments,” Kelly says. “They ended up deciding to keep me - I started out as a full-time manager and worked my way up. Shortly after I started, there was a new airport director, and he kind of took me under his wing. He took really good care of me and advanced me multiple times.” That former director and mentor was Patrick Graham, who put his own stamp on the airport with a 28-year tenure, most of which was spent at the director level. Kelly says that over the years, he never had the urge to jump to another airport. The fact that SAV was growing and becoming an industry leader among small airports meant there was no need to seek experience elsewhere. “It was always a new challenge with more responsibility, and in a growing, developing airport,” Kelly notes. He extols the breadth of experience he was able to gain by taking on a variety of responsibilities fairly early in his career, something that might not have happened at a larger airport. “When I arrived at SAV, the airport was starting to plan for a brand new terminal complex in an undeveloped part of the airport,” Kelly says. “For the first part of my career, I was involved in a ground-up new terminal complex with everything - an entrance road, an interchange off the interstate, parking, aviation support areas, a terminal, an apron, taxiways. For my first five years, I was heavily involved in that and got all the experience that comes with

Left: Greg Kelly, executive director, Savannah Airport Commission, is AXN’s Director of the Year in the small airports division.

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