Fort Lauderdale airport’s Kent George snags award
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s Aviation Director Kent George was recently named Airport Revenue News’ 2012 Director of the Year in the large airports category.
George is featured in the December/January issue of the Boca Raton-based industry publication and will be honored at an awards dinner on Feb. 26 during its annual convention in Las Vegas.
ARN Executive Director David Broderick said Thursday that an advisory board of established airport professionals, including directors and chief executive officers played “a significant role” in determining the winner.
Candidates are shortlisted, and a winner selected based on key hallmarks such as: exemplary leadership, noteworthy work, efforts that further the interests of airports and the ability to face and successfully navigate challenges.
George exemplified many of these qualities and among his notable achievements was the way he “got the south runway project up and running,” said Broderick.
The Sun Sentinel recently asked George about the award, the year’s accomplishments and what’s ahead for the airport. Here’s a paraphrased version of the interview:
How do you feel about the ARN award?
I’m very appreciative and humbled. I believe you need to continue working and doing the best you can and not keep awards in mind. I want to do the best for the community I’m serving.
Can you list some of the major achievements at the Fort Lauderdale airport in 2012 under your leadership?
The ongoing building of the new south runway; commencement of the redevelopment of Terminal 1, 2 and 3, and the rebuilding of Terminal 4; the opportunity to provide new concessions through a selection process in Terminals 1 and 2, which haven’t had new offerings since 1985. And the overall continued growth of the airport, which should see nearly 24 million passengers in 2012.
What ’s your biggest achievement since becoming airport director in 2007? Launching the multimildollar south runway ex-
lion pansion project in spite of its difficulty. It had been on the books since the early 1990s and really needed to be operational in 2004 because of increasing flight delays.
What’s your typical work day like?
I’m in office around 7 or 7:30 a.m. and generally leave about 6 p.m. depending on what needs to be done. My day involves meetings, phone calls, walking the terminals and visiting construction sites.
What’s next for the port in 2013, and beyond?
We’ll be doing more than $1.5 billion worth of work here in the next five years and will be focused on the terminal improvements and the completion of the south runway, which is targeted for September 2014. We’ll continue to work closely with our carriers to develop new routes and expand existing ones.
Can you tell us something about yourself that most people may not know?
I like to hunt, and these days it’s for wild hogs in Lake Okeechobee.
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