Tucson's Burg, Airport Communications and Marketing, Environmental Award Winners Honored

At the 2008 Airports Council International- North America (ACI-NA) Chairman’s Honor’s and 60th Anniversary Luncheon, held on September 24 during the ACI World/North America Conference and Exhibition in Boston, more than 500 attendees applauded the winners of ACI-NA’s awards and recognized accomplishments of ACI-NA’s past 60 years.

ACI-NA, formerly the Airport Operators Council, is the oldest international airport owners and operators organization in the world.

In January 1948, 19 US commercial airports had their first meeting in New York City. With the mission to address and solve mutual problems facing airports in the United States involving airport operations, airport users and relations with the federal government and other segments of the industry, they formed the Airport Operators Council. In 1991, the organization joined other international regions to become Airports Council International-North America.

Attendees at the Chairman’s Honor’s and 60th Anniversary Luncheon recognized the late Walter A. Burg, former chief executive of Tucson Airport Authority, with the William E. Downes Jr. Memorial Award, for his outstanding leadership in promoting the cause of airports and aviation in his community. Burg’s wife Sue and Tucson’s president and CEO Bonnie Allin accepted the award on Burg’s behalf.

Members and guests also congratulated 30-plus airport winners of the 2008 Excellence in Airport Communications and Marketing Contest; Edmonton International Airport, winner of the Peggy G. Hereford Award; plus Boston Logan, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports, winners of the 2008 Environmental Achievement Awards.

Other highlights of the event included the gavel toss from outgoing Board Chairman Randall "Randy" H. Walker, Director of Aviation for Clark County’s Department of Aviation in Las Vegas, to incoming Chairman John D. Clark, III, Executive Director of Jacksonville Aviation Authority. Clark will begin his term as Chairman in January 2009.

The event was brought to a close with the Annual Conference "hand-off" from Massachusetts Port Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Tom Kinton, to Jamy Kazanoff, Assistant Director of the Austin Department of Aviation.

Austin is the site of the ACI-NA 18th Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be held October 11-14, 2009.

FMI: www.aci-na.org