Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2025

GREGG PARADIES, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PARADIES LAGARDERE “Chad is the consummate leader. Through his extensive airport and airline experience, he truly understands the needs and challenges of his travelers. I have always admired his approachable

TODD HAUPTLI, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES “Chad’s a fantastic selection. He is very thoughtful about leadership. He’s a great communicator. He’s got vision for how he wants the organization to be and how he wants the airport to grow. He’s extraordinarily talented. Chad has long time roots in the community and does a terrific job of working with the local elected officials and community leaders. And there have been tough issues to deal with over the years, including suing the FAA over noise issues, and Chad’s done a masterful job of dealing with that.”

leadership style, strategic mindset and commitment to collaboration. He recognizes that if he has happy and motivated associates and business partners, his travelers will have a first class experience at PHX, which is why Sky Harbor is recognized as ‘America’s Friendliest Airport.’ Through our collaborative partnership with Sky Harbor, we are proud to support Chad’s overall vision of driving economic development in the region by promoting local businesses in our retail stores.”

GREGORY TORREZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TORREZ INTERNATIONAL, AN ACDBE OPERATOR AT PHX, AND FOUNDING CHAIR OF THE SUPPORT SKY HARBOR COALITION “I’ve known Chad for over 15 years and have watched his growth within the airport. I’ve told him on many occasions that I consider him to be a Boy Scout because he deals with trust, respect and integrity all

RON PRICE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, VISIT PHOENIX

“We belong to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association. You might think that this is mostly hoteliers, restaurants and some of our tourism attractions, but Sky Harbor has a major role. He listens to the issues that we’re facing as an industry and talks about how the airport can assist. For example, [during the recent government shutdown] we had people coming to work each and every day who

weren’t getting a paycheck, and we were asking what can we do as a tourism community to step in and help? He’s not just thinking about air traffic and the airport itself on a daily basis. He’s thinking about the people that come to work each day make it happen. And I think for us that speaks volumes on who Chad is as a leader.”

the time, on anything that I’ve ever seen him involved in or he’s been involved in with me personally. I believe those strengths make him a great leader, because he builds relationships with everybody he’s worked with, starting way back when he used to wear an orange vest to now that he’s the director. He’s a very unassuming man. He’s held in such high regard.”

KEVIN BURKE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL – NORTH AMERICA

“Chad is a thought leader. He speaks up when he has something to say, and what he says is almost all the time meaningful. He always asks good questions. He always provides good commentary. He’s a big contributor to ACI, and he and his team are always present at our meetings. Most importantly, when I see Chad with his colleagues, it’s pretty clear where he stands. He’s highly respected. I don’t think there’s a person I’ve ever heard say a bad thing about Chad, but that’s one thing. The other thing is they respect him, and they like him. They like him a lot. He always brings a smile to a meeting, and he always brings something important to the discussion. That’s what we hope for, right?”

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AX NEWS DECEMBER 2025 / JANUARY 2026