Airport Experience® News - Leadership 2022

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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