Airport Experience® News - Leadership & Culture Issue 2023

2023 DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR LARGE AIRPORTS

Industry Colleagues Praise For Becker For Breadth Of Commitment, Humility SHARING CREDIT

BY ANDREW TELLIJOHN

Whether it’s spreading accolades for success to staff, calling peers to offer congratulations and insights or bringing partners in on airport project decisions, San Diego International Airport (SAN) President and CEO Kim Becker is known for her collaborative approach to her job. Becker is also a measured and knowledgeable supporter of the industry on issues from policy to pandemic recovery. Here’s what some of her supporters had to say.

GIL CABRERA Owner, The Cabrera Firm, and Chair of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority “Kim has her finger on the pulse of the organization. She’s engaged, she’s easy to talk to, easy to work with. She’s really just top notch, we’re incredibly lucky to

KEVIN BURKE President and CEO, Airports Council International – North America “Anything you ask Kim to do, she says ‘yes, absolutely.’ That’s despite all she

has going on {with the SAN redevelopment]. She’s been active in the large hub group (for ACI-NA), active in air service development, active on environmental issues.... And she does a great job as a director.”

have her. She’s only been here seven years, but you’d think she’s been here all her life with her connections in the community and all the people who have worked with her.

MARK CAFFERTY CEO, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp.

TODD HAUPTLI President and CEO, American Association of Airport Executives “The thing that I think really stands out about Kim is she’s an extraordinary

“She is a leader who you don’t ever see standing up to say, ‘Look at what I’ve done.’ She is always standing up to say, “Look at what we’ve

done’ or ‘Look at what you’ve done.’ And that draws people into her in a way that eludes other leaders when they don’t have that trait. Kim is someone people enjoy working with and supporting because of how appreciated they feel and because of how effective we know she is at her job.”

leader. She has always been very intentional about devel oping leaders in her organization and thinking about lead ership issues. She’s also leaned into innovation throughout her career, including her time at San Diego and before that at San Jose.”

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AX NEWS LEADERSHIP ISSUE 2023