2019 Airport Business Top 40 Under 40: Jenny Ann Urban, LL.M., JD, MBA

Jenny Ann Urban has always been interested in the travel industry. She traveled with her family growing up and when she was in law school, Urban was fortunate enough to be the research assistant to the lead attorney on the USAID Advancing Philippine Competitive Project Grant, which was focused on aviation.

Working on the legal issues involved in this project solidified her desire to pursue a career in the aviation industry.

“There’s never going to be a boring day in aviation,” she said. “There’s always something you can learn and always something that you can strive to make better.”

As director of aviation relations and compliance at CLEAR, Urban supports the biometric identity platform's complex engagement with a variety of airport administrators and federal agencies. Her duties include working with external stakeholders, coordinating with the operations team to enhance the effectiveness of its field partnerships and designing internal audit/compliance review policy and schedule – all while managing airport, airline and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) audits of CLEAR’s operations.

In addition to supporting CLEAR's current partnerships and regulatory compliance across its network, Urban has played an important role in facilitating CLEAR's expansion into five new airports.

"I truly love getting to work with such a diverse group," she said. " It's wonderful to be able to figure out how to best partner with stakeholders throughout the country."

Prior to joining the company, Urban served as an aviation associate at two international law firms, where she counseled a wide array of clients on complex aviation issues. Her knowledge of aviation law empowered Urban to work with major U.S. and foreign passenger and cargo airlines, entities involved in the commercial use of drones and other stakeholders on compliance.

Urban's dedication to her clients led her to accumulate several critical skills. In one instance, Urban's drive to enhance the drone-related advice she provided to clients led her to take and pass the FAA’s aeronautical knowledge test and earned a Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems license.

She's also a frequent speaker at both domestic and international conferences.         

Urban is now spearheading opportunities for CLEAR employees across the country to become trained on anti-human trafficking measures and partner with federal agencies on their own anti-human trafficking campaigns, including the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign.

She also serves on the advisory board for the Aviation Community Foundation, a non-profit organization working to get youth interested in aviation.