Mayor names Atlanta airport chief finalists

By Kelly Yamanouchi and Ernie Suggs

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nearly two months after the departure of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s general manager, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed has selected three finalists in the search for a successor.

John D. Clark III, executive director and CEO of the Indianapolis Airport Authority; Louis Miller, former executive director and CEO of Tampa International Airport; and Lester Robinson, former CEO of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, bring different backgrounds in airport management.

None come from one of the nation’s 10 largest airports, but they bring some experience in dealing with Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines as well as background in other key areas.

“They all have proven track records of running successful airports,” Reed said.

The mayor met with five finalists for the position on Aug. 16 in a round of marathon interviews at city hall. He said he will invite each of the three finalists back to Atlanta in the coming days to visit the airport. Reed said that by Sept. 3, he will name his new airport general manager, as well as a new city attorney to round out his cabinet.

The searchtook longer than expected, following the January announcement that DeCosta’s contract would not be renewed. DeCosta was the highest-paid city employee, with salary and perks of nearly $300,000 a year.

Clark, who has led the Indianapolis airport for about a year, is overseeing the operation of a new terminal there. Indianapolis also is a FedEx cargo hub.

Reed said he was impressed with Clark’s balance of managing the passenger side of the business, as well as air cargo, which he has been eager to see expand in Atlanta.

Robinson, who managed Detroit’s Metro Airport and Willow Run Airport from 2002 until June of this year, oversaw a major expansion of Metro Airport with two new terminals and a sixth runway. One of the new general manager’s tasks in Atlanta will be smooth completion of the new international terminal.

Reed said Robinson’s work to modernize the Detroit airport was an important factor in his becoming a finalist. The Detroit airport was also recently selected as the top airport in the country in customer satisfaction.

Miller, a longtime manager of Salt Lake City’s airport before he moved to Tampa, helped develop the hub that Delta now operates in Salt Lake. Reed noted that Miller has spent 20 years in the top position at two major airports. Miller left the Tampa airport post last winter.

Clark, Miller and Robinson each have encountered controversy in the past, over matters ranging from travel expenses in Clark’s case to zoning issues in Miller’s case, according to news reports in other cities. In Detroit, the airport authority declined to renew his contract after a long tenure, but praised him while announcing his departure.