Airport Experience® News - Leadership 2022

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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