Jai Ferrell, a prominent executive at Hartsfield-Jackson International, has resigned from her position, according to the airport.
Ferrell, who had been chief commercial officer and a deputy general manager at the world’s busiest airport since 2022, over the last year has been been the target of complaints from some people who operate businesses at the airport and others who have appeared at Atlanta City Council meetings.
In an exit note, Ferrell wrote: “I am ready to use my wings and it is time that I depart ATL.” Ferrell, 40, had an annual salary of $258,750.
A year ago, Ferrell came under scrutiny after the airport opened an audit of suspected inappropriate expenditures, then asked for a review by the city of Atlanta’s Law Department. The Law Department used outside counsel for an investigation into 343 invoices over five months in the airport’s marketing division.
The report flagged more than $6,000 in inappropriate invoices, including spending that Airport General Manager Balram Bheodari said constituted revenue diversion, in violation of Federal Aviation Administration policy. Bheodari said he informed the FAA of the investigation, told the FAA he would take “appropriate action” to recover the funds and said the FAA was “satisfied with that.”
Among the expenses reviewed were airport dollars spent on a memorial service reception for a cousin of Ferrell that was submitted by a marketing department employee.
After the review, Hartsfield-Jackson General Manager Balram Bheodari defended Ferrell, saying she was not aware that airport funds were used to pay for the funeral reception catering.
Also examined was a $5,000 photo shoot of Ferrell in December and $1,000 for another airport executive. The shoots, rivaling the cost to photograph some weddings, were deemed permissible, the report said.
In December 2023, Ferrell took leave from the airport under the federal Family Medical Leave Act until March of this year. In January, Ferrell filed a petition for a temporary protective order against one vocal critic, Duwon Robinson, who has criticized her during city council meetings.
On Monday, Bheodari said Ferrell’s tenure at the airport was “marked with innovation” and that she ”quickly rose through the ranks of various leadership positions at ATL” after being hired as the airport‘s manager of marketing and promotions nearly a decade ago.
Bheodari called Ferrell’s resignation “bittersweet for the ATL community as we will miss her presence and professionalism, while looking forward to her next professional endeavor.”
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