Four veteran senior staff members of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) announced their retirements in the coming months under an "early opportunity plan" created by the association to reward selected senior staff members with long term service tenures at the association. All four will serve as consultants to the association after retirement so that the AAAE staff and membership continue to benefit from their deep institutional knowledge and wisdom.
The four staff members are: Joan Lowden, Senior VP, Communications, retiring May 31, 2013; Pat Osborne, Senior VP, Information Services, retiring June 30, 2013; Jim Johnson, A.A.E., Executive Director, Airport Services, retiring September 30, 2013; and, Tyra Harpster, Senior VP, Finance and Administration, retiring January 1, 2014.
AAAE CEO Chip Barclay, who announced his own retirement for December 1, 2013, said the organization’s gratitude and admiration could not possibly be higher for these four senior team members. “They have each played a critical role in AAAE’s growth and building our culture of excellence in member service. They deserve the opportunity to put their own schedules and next-career plans first, and we are grateful for their agreement to continue to consult with the organization and share their enormous knowledge and understanding of AAAE,” said Barclay. “This change in the association’s leadership is only possible due to the deep bench strength on AAAE staff. We are fortunate to have another generation of talented and experienced staff members who are ready for new leadership opportunities following in these big footsteps. AAAE’s ‘develop and promote from within’ staff culture is the enabler of this move."
