Joseph Nardone Chosen as Columbus Airport Authority President & CEO

On Dec. 12, the Board of Directors of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority unanimously passed a resolution naming Joseph R. Nardone, C.M., as the next president & CEO.

Slated to start mid-January, Nardone currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Wayne County Airport Authority, which operates Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW). As the country’s 19th busiest airport, DTW served nearly 34.5 million passengers in 2016. With service from 13 airlines, the airport offers more than 1,100 flights per day to more than 140 nonstop destinations on four continents. The Wayne County Airport Authority also operates Willow Run Airport (YIP), which serves cargo, corporate and general aviation clients.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to leverage the strength of the community to advance air service development efforts and create even stronger partnerships benefitting the Columbus Region,” said Nardone. “It will be an honor to lead the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which is highly regarded in the industry for its best-in-class management and airport operations.”

Prior to serving as CEO of DTW, Nardone served as the airport’s Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate. He also served as the Director of Southgate Properties, a nonprofit with multi-million dollar real estate transactions, and as the economic development director of the City of Taylor, Michigan. His career also includes over a decade spent in the private sector with Huron Valley Steel Corporation, where he served as Vice President managing real estate and development activities in the U.S. and Europe.

“Joe’s achievements in the aviation industry, combined with his work in the nonprofit and private sectors, position him to further our vision to connect Ohio with the world,” said Board Chair Susan Tomasky. “His extensive real estate and economic development experience, including playing a critical role in bringing Spirit Airline’s $32 million state-of-the-art maintenance hangar to the Detroit airport, can be leveraged to accelerate business and service expansion at our airports.”

Nardone will lead the independent airport authority of the nation’s 14th largest city, overseeing the strategic operation and management of passenger-focused John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), cargo-focused Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), and general aviation airport Bolton Field (TZR). The three airports and select businesses with direct ties to the airports account for more than 54,000 jobs, $1.8 billion in annual payroll and $6.6 billion in total annual economic output.

“Input from a variety of community and industry stakeholders served as a springboard for our robust, national search for the next President & CEO,” said board member Terrance Williams, who led the special search committee. “Joe provides the right combination of proven success in air service growth, economic development and building the mutually-beneficial, public-private partnerships that our community needs as we move forward.”

Nardone has committed to a four-year employment agreement to succeed retiring President & CEO Elaine Roberts, A.A.E, an industry veteran who led the airport authority for 17 years.

“Elaine’s thoughtful, strategic leadership leaves behind a strong foundation from which we will build upon for the continued long-term success of our airports,” said Tomasky.