Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council committee advances Ricky Smith as general manager for Hartsfield–Jackson
Summary
The Transportation Committee advanced Mayor Andre Dickens’ recommendation to appoint Ricky Smith as general manager of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, voting favorably to send the nomination to full council.
The Transportation Committee advanced Mayor Andre Dickens’ nomination of Ricky Smith to serve as general manager of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, voting 6-0 to move the communication to the full City Council for final consideration.
The nomination was presented to the committee by Lashandra Burks, chief operating officer, who said Smith started with the city on April 2 and described his prior role as executive director and CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration. "I am honored to present to you all the recommendation from the mayor of Mr. Ricky Smith as the next general manager for the Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport," Burks said.
Ricky Smith addressed the committee, thanking the mayor and council and pledging to work with city leaders to keep Hartsfield–Jackson "the world's busiest and most efficient and soon most resilient airport." Council member Antonio Lewis, who said he had met with Smith weeks earlier, moved approval; the motion was seconded and carried on a 6-0 voice vote.
Why it matters: The general manager leads operations at the airport that handles tens of millions of passengers yearly. Committee approval advances the mayor's pick to the full council, where the appointment will be finalized. The committee recorded no substantive objections during the public committee discussion.
Details and next steps: Committee chair Byron Amos said staff would follow up with the new appointee about the next procedural steps. The communication (item 125C0057) will proceed to the council for final action, per committee practice. The vote on the committee motion was recorded as "favorable" by the clerk and will appear in the council packet for the next council meeting.
Reporting note: The committee's recorded discussion and the vote on the item were part of the communications section of the Transportation Committee meeting; the city will publish the formal ordinance and any implementing documents if the full council confirms the appointment.
