Top Industry Honors for New Oakland Airport Assistant Director

    July 2, 2019
    Related To:
    Oakland Airport
    From left to right: Kevin Burke, ACI-NA President and CEO, Tatiana Starostina, and Candice McGraw, ACI-NA Chair and CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
    From left to right: Kevin Burke, ACI-NA President and CEO, Tatiana Starostina, and Candice McGraw, ACI-NA Chair and CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

    The Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners recognized its new Assistant Director of Aviation - Business & Strategy, Tatiana Starostina, during its regular meeting Thursday for being named Aviation Finance Professional of the Year by Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA).

    Starostina joined the Port of Oakland Finance Division in 2015, working closely with airlines and other stakeholders on matters concerning Oakland International Airport, which constitutes the Port of Oakland’s Aviation Division.

    When asked about the precise combination of Aviation and Finance, two industries that can exist separately in the minds of the average passenger, Starostina says, “We have to be very financially-minded in everything that we do, because that is the foundation of success in any organization, airports in particular.”

    “At a time when airports are financially constrained, these professionals have developed creative solutions to meet their airports’ significant needs,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke in a statement. “As airports around the country seek to find ways to fund much-needed upgrades, this year’s 2019 Finance Professionals of the Year prove that a sustainable business model is key to any airport’s success. I congratulate the recipients on their important accomplishments.”

    Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Bryant L. Francis said: “We are incredibly proud of Tatiana for earning this esteemed recognition by one of the world’s foremost and respected organizations amongst Aviation industry professionals. She has been a tremendous asset to OAK during her time at the Port of Oakland headquarters, and we are very fortunate to now have her at the Airport as Assistant Director.”

    Starostina started her career with United Airlines in 2003 as a financial analyst, and began her work in Airport Finance at the Port of Portland in 2011. She joined the Port of Oakland’s Finance Division in 2015 and transitioned to the Aviation Division as Assistant Director earlier this year.

    Honors were conferred at the 2019 ACI-NA Business of Airports Conference gala in Scottsdale, AZ, on June 12th. Scott Brinkner of San Diego County Regional Airport Authority won the Large Airport category. Starostina’s win was in the Medium Airport Category, with Oakland International at over 13 million annual passengers.

    ACI-NA is made up of over 300 airports and 400 related businesses in the US and Canada, convened to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations. Learn more about ACI-NA at www.airportscouncil.org.

    Josh Smith