Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2024

Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks. The insights contained in the book “gave me a lot of peace” as she questions what’s next, either in the industry or outside of it. “It’s a little bit scary but very rewarding to be the complete master of your universe in terms of how and where you’re going to spend your time,” McGraw say. “I’m figuring out how to spend it in a way that fills my soul, and in ways that I can be helpful. I’m just starting to sort through that now.” Frank Miller, Executive Director, Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) Frank Miller has had a 42-year career in airports. That’s not particularly unusual, but what is astonishing is that all of those years were spent at the helm of each airport. Miller’s first airport gig was at Juneau International Airport (JNU), followed by a short stint at Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) in Colorado. Pensacola International Airport (PNS) held Miller the longest – he was airport director there for 21 years before jumping to San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and serving for six-plus years. Miller joined Hollywood Burbank Airport in 2016. After eight years at the TBI Airport Management -run airport, Miller will retire on January 17, 2025.

I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to work at all these different airports,” Miller says, noting that his leadership style of “a collaborative approach where I find the right people, put them on my staff and let them do what they do well.” Miller learned the ins-and outs of airports at his first two airport jobs, where staffing was thin and he pitched in on just about every aspect of operating the airport. Now, he strives to give others the same opportunities. “It’s the difference of the definition between being a leader and being a manager,” he says. “I like to think I’m more of the leader and then have all these people doing what they do well.” Miller hopes his legacy will showcase the innovation he brought to the jobs. “I always like to think that the airports that I manage are seen as cutting edge,” he says. “I’ve been able to identify different approaches to achieving success – an opportunity to think outside the box is always fun.” At press time, Miller’s successor had not been named, but Miller says TBI and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority , which owns the airport, are collaborating to identify the next director. And after 42 years in the industry, Miller is “looking forward to some respite” from the day-to-day, but isn’t sure he wants to just walk away. “I’m having some discussions with different people,” he says. “If there’s an opportunity for me to continue in some way within the industry, I’d be very amenable to that.” Fredrick “Rick” Piccolo, President and CEO, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport Rick Piccolo is a one airport kind of guy. In an industry where jumping from airport to airport as a career builds is commonplace, Piccolo has stayed put. He’s now entering his 30 th year at the helm of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and will retire from the organization on June 30. He will continue in an advisory role for a further six months. Despite the long tenure, Piccolo didn’t begin his aviation career at SRQ. After a stint in the military, his first introduction to the field was at Buffalo-Niagara International (BUF). “When I went to work at Buffalo Airport as a janitor, it was the first time I ever saw an airport,” he recalls. “I never expected that I would be in this as a career.

Above: Fredrick “Rick” Piccolo, president and CEO, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

SRQ is a small hub airport, but Piccolo has had an outsized impact on the industry. He is past chairman of Airports Council International – North America and also a past chairman of Airports Council International’s world governing board; in total, he served on the world governing board for 16 years. “One of the highlights in my career was the ability to go all over the world, meet with people from all different cultures and learn from other places and other regions of the world,” Piccolo says. Piccolo says “it’s a very inclusive industry” in that, despite being from a small airport, there is “recognition of the level of professionalism that exists. But to some degree, I’ll make the argument that at a smaller airport you have to know a lot of the different facets. You can’t just have different department heads that specialize in something, and you’re just overseeing a group.” Piccolo adds that the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority board, which operates SRQ, saw the benefits of global connections and was generous in allowing Piccolo to serve at that level. The global position was exciting, but so too was overseeing the growth of SRQ, particularly in recent years, Piccolo says. It’s also been a bit daunting. “We went from 1.3 million passengers to about 4.5 million passengers in a very short period of time, which creates a lot of challenges from a facility standpoint,” he says. “We’ve gone from six airlines and 12 nonstops to 11 airlines and 67 nonstop destinations from SRQ. It’s been quite a ride the past five years.

Below: Frank Miller, executive director, Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

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AX NEWS DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025