Birmingham Airport Names New Leader

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Birmingham Airport Authority has named a new CEO for the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Ronald F. Mathieu, former executive director of Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Ark., will take over the position vacated by the resignation of longtime CEO Al Denson last year.

Mathieu, who will begin his new position in Birmingham June 17, has held leadership positions at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and Newark International, LaGuardia and JFK International Airports - operated by the New York Port Authority - before joining the Clinton National Airport in Arkansas.

“I look forward to joining the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and working closely with the board and staff team members,” said Mathieu. “The airport is a critical economic generator for the city of Birmingham and great state of Alabama. We look forward to working to ensure that the airport continues to make a reliable, sustainable and growing economic impact, while also ensuring our customers have a positive travel experience.”

“Ron brings a wealth of knowledge to this role,” said Chris Johnson, BAA board member and chairman of the selection committee. “He rose to the top of our candidate list with his strong financial, operations and administrative work for other national and regional airports.”

Mathieu earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives, where he serves on the Policy Review Committee, and is a past chairman of the Diversity Committee. Mathieu, a private pilot, is also a board member of the International Association of Airport Executives.