Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2025

PATRICK MINOR, COO, JACKSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY (JAN): “I was fortunate to work under the direction of Perry Miller, whose guidance and leadership had a lasting impact on my aviation

TODD HAUPTLI, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES: “Perry is intentional about leadership. He thinks a lot about inspiring his team, leading the team and developing leaders in his organization. He did

career. His professionalism set a standard I continue to admire. Perry led by example and encouraged professional development. I am grateful for the positive influence he has had on my professional and personal journey. I really appreciate him for the spiritual guidance and encouragement during our one-on-one meetings.”

KEVIN BURKE, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL - NORTH AMERICA: “I have a soft spot in my heart for Perry. I met him when I first [joined ACI-NA]. He was working for the Houston Airport System at that time, and he was very kind to me. I was new. I didn’t know much about airports. He made certain that his team brought me around all the places I needed to see so I could learn. Perry’s a real leader. He was the chair of AAAE and did a great job doing that. He’s now on our board at ACI and is a go-to guy. When you have a question about next steps, he’s got a lot of wisdom to offer. From my position as the CEO of ACI, I like to work with people who are very busy in their own jobs, running their airports, but [who] seem to find the time to contribute to the industry. Perry has done that. He’s a guy who understands the industry but also gives back to the industry. Being in Richmond, he’s competing with Dulles, competing with Norfolk, and to some extent, competing with Newport News. RIC is a beautiful airport, well-run and clean as a whistle, and a lot of it has to do with Perry’s leadership. His predecessor was very good as well, and he left Perry in good shape in terms of the airport and its financing. Perry has been able to take it to the next level.” something that really impressed me — he went and got his PhD after he became the director at Richmond. He didn’t need to do that for his job, he’s just one of these lifelong learners, and I think that says a lot about him. When Perry became chair of AAAE, he really broadened the leadership opportunities for members. He wanted to make sure that people had opportunities to become chairs and vice chairs of committees, that we didn’t rely on the same group of people all the time. He instituted what essentially are term limits [governing] how long someone can be a chair of a committee to make sure that there were upward mobility opportunities for other people.”

JAMES L. HENLEY JR., BOARD MEMBER, JACKSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY (JMAA): “As a past chairman and board member of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JAN), I can say without a doubt Perry was the lynchpin to JMAA’s operations. He often did the critical unseen work to ensure the ongoing operations. More importantly, Perry did it with a great attitude. Time does not allow for all the positives Perry brought to the team.”

CHARLES WALL, FORMER GENERAL MANAGER, GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT (IAH): “If you know Perry as I have come to know him over the years, you understand that he genuinely cares about people. He leads with his heart and upholds a level of immense integrity that is rare in today’s world. There are few individuals I can think of who are more deserving of

recognition, and true to his humble nature, he would never seek it for himself. Nonetheless, I can say with absolute confidence that he is truly deserving of this honor.”

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AX NEWS DECEMBER 2025 / JANUARY 2026