Airport Authority Names Executive Director
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indianapolis Airport Authority has named Mario Rodriguez executive director. He is currently executive director of Long Beach Airport in Southern California. Rodriguez will succeed Robert Duncan, who plans to join a law firm next year.
April 21, 2014
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) is pleased to announce that it has selected Mario Rodriguez as its next executive director. Current Executive Director Robert Duncan will remain with the IAA as deputy executive director during a transition period that will follow the arrival of Rodriguez in early June.
“We are delighted to welcome Mario Rodriguez to the Indianapolis Airport Authority,” said IAA board president Michael Wells. “His proven leadership and ability to drive success over more than 25 years in our challenging industry will strengthen our team and further our goal of growing the value that the Indianapolis International Airport, a vital economic engine for Central Indiana, creates for our region.”
“We are also pleased that our current executive director, Robert Duncan, will remain with us in a transitional role during which Mario will additionally benefit from the insight and expertise gained in over 40 years of local service to the Indianapolis Airport Authority,” added Wells.
Rodriguez said, “I am extremely honored to be given the opportunity to join the team at the Indianapolis Airport Authority. These are exciting times, as the Authority continues to make the Indianapolis International Airport the airport of choice for passengers, airlines, and airport service providers.”
“During my tenure here, I have been a part of a dramatic evolutionary process that has included the development of one of the nation’s top cargo hubs, the opening of a world-class terminal, and, for three out of the last four years, the designation of top airport in North America,” said Duncan. “But I am most proud of the dedication to excellence our staff exhibits on a daily basis in order to elevate the travel experience for every guest we serve.”
“I look forward to helping usher in the latest chapter of our ongoing journey to be the best,” added Duncan. “In addition to extensive industry knowledge, expertise, and experience, Mario will bring an approach that will complement and inspire the culture we have created here.”
Mario Rodriguez has had a distinguished career in the private and public sectors. He is the executive director of Long Beach Airport, located in the center of Southern California. In his several years at the helm, he has transformed the Long Beach Airport into an award-winning organization with world-class facilities and exceptional financial performance, reflected by an increase of net operating revenues of over 50 percent and operating reserves of over 35 percent in a matter of only five years. Recently Fodor's and Yahoo have recognized the Long Beach Airport as having one of the top ten terminals in the world.
Prior to coming to Long Beach Airport, Mario served at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. His leadership enabled the rapid recovery of the airport after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Two years later, he was recognized for his expertise in environmental management and awarded the prestigious Environmental Achievement Award from Airports Council International.
Duncan has been involved with the IAA in various capacities since 1973. His roles with the Authority have included staff attorney, managing director, vice president, general counsel, and executive director. His primary duties as deputy executive director will be to help the new executive director acclimate to the IAA's employee culture, its business and operational processes, and its approach to community relations. Additionally, he will assist in the transition of key leadership duties and responsibilities in the most efficient manner possible. Duncan will serve in this transitional capacity through 2014, after which he intends to return to the private practice of law with the firm of Norris, Choplin, and Schroeder LLP.
About the Indianapolis Airport Authority
The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana's largest airport system. In addition to the Indianapolis International Airport, its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport, Indianapolis Regional Airport, and Metropolitan Airport. IND has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing it as a leader within its class, including best airport in North America in 2010, 2012, and 2013 in Airports Council International's annual Airport Service Quality awards. IND is the first airport in the U.S. to win LEED certification for an entire terminal campus, and the airport has won additional recognition for excellent customer service, concessions programs, and art and architecture.
IND's economic impact in Central Indiana is more than $4.5 billion annually, and about 10,000 people work at the airport each day. IND serves more than 7 million business and leisure travelers each year and averages 138 daily flights to 34 nonstop destinations. Home of the world's second-largest FedEx Express operation and the nation's eighth-largest cargo facility, IND is committed to becoming the airport system of choice for both passenger and cargo service. For more information, visit IND's Facebook page at Indianapolis International Airport and Twitter page at @INDairport.
Source: Indianapolis Airport Authority