The former head of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was named by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as the new chief of the city’s airport system.
Gina Marie Lindsey replaces Lydia Kennard as executive director of Los Angeles World Airports. Kennard stepped down in January to return to the private sector.
During her 11 years as aviation director at Seattle-Tacoma airport, Lindsey oversaw a $3 billion capital improvement project, including the construction of a new runway, renovation of a terminal concourse and several other major upgrades.
She also brought the airport back into operation after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in 2001 caused significant damage. And later that year, she presided over the shutdown and the re-opening of the airport following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“In searching for a new executive director, we knew we needed someone with experience, with an ability to build bridges and with a vision for moving the area’s airports forward and we found the perfect candidate in Gina Marie Lindsey,” Villaraigosa said.
After leaving the Seattle-Tacoma post in 2004, Lindsey moved to Washington D.C. with her husband and joined the lobbying firm of McBee Strategic Consulting.
Besides LAX, Los Angeles World Airports also operates the Los Angeles-Ontario International Airport and the Los Angeles-Palmdale airfield, as well as the Van Nuys general aviation airport. Villaraigosa is expected to assign Lindsey the task of promoting growth at both Ontario and Palmdale as part of a strategy to regionalize local air travel.
One of about a dozen finalists considered for the Los Angeles World Airports post, Lindsey will help craft a multibillion dollar modernization plan for Los Angeles International Airport. The airport has already begun with the expansion of the south runway and an overhaul of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Lindsey will also have to confront declining international airport traffic as carriers increasingly bypass LAX. And she will have to balance the interests of the region’s economy with concerns from local residents over any plans to modernize the airport. Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX and surrounding neighborhoods, welcomed Lindsey’s appointment but said she has a tough job ahead.
“Her first, and perhaps, greatest challenge will be to strike a compromise with airport neighbors on a new master plan. That plan must meet the needs of business and the airport without negatively impacting the environment, traffic, and the surrounding communities,” he said.
