Laura Rhoad has joined the Lee County Port Authority as director of human resources. She will be responsible for overseeing all activities related to employee matters at Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field in Fort Myers, including working with members of the executive management team to build and manage organizational development, policies and programs, compensation, benefits, performance management, employee relations, recruiting, hiring and retention, as well as compliance with federal, state and local laws.
Rhoad has been in the human resources field for more than 25 years. Most recently, she served as the director of human resources at Shaw Development in Bonita Springs, Fla. Before that, Rhoad was the human resources manager for several manufacturing companies in Ohio, South Carolina and Florida, including Pall Corporation, General Electric, Whirlpool and Kitchen Aid.
Rhoad has been a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for many years, serving in numerous leadership roles, including president of the local Fort Myers chapter. She has also been actively involved with HR Florida, serving as the legislative affairs director, and then as Gulf Coast District Director, advising the three local SHRM chapters in Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. Rhoad is a long-term member of the Employer Advisory Committee for Employ Florida and is involved with the STEM program for the Foundation of Lee County Public Schools.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a master’s degree in management/human resources from Hodges University in Fort Myers. Rhoad received her SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification in 1999 and her SHRM-SCP in May 2015. In addition, she was given the 2016 Human Resources Professional of the Year award by the Society for Human Resource Management Southwest Florida Chapter.
The Lee County Port Authority operates Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field in Fort Myers. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used for the operation or improvement of either airport. For more information, please visit www.flylcpa.com.
