John Potter Named MWAA President and CEO

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Board of Directors announced Wednesday it selected former Postmaster General John E. “Jack” Potter to be MWAA’s President and CEO.

Potter replaced James E. Bennett, who served in the position from 2003 until May of this year.

“We are confident that Jack has the leadership and management skills necessary to continue the Airports Authority’s strong legacy of providing outstanding aviation services to the Washington region and the travelers throughout the world who use our airports,” said Charles D. Snelling, the chairman of the MWAA board, said in a press release. “Jack is also the right person at the right time to meet the challenges of building Metrorail in the Dulles Corridor and improving the Dulles Toll Road to promote mobility and economic development for our region.”

Potter worked as the Postmaster General for a decade, modernizing management and helping transition the United States Postal Service into a new era. He plans to start by July 18.

“I'm excited about the opportunity to serve this region, and I thank the Board members for the confidence they have placed in me. This is both a great honor and a big challenge,” Potter said in the press release. “The core reason I accepted this challenge is because I believe the Airports Authority can do more to grow the economy of this region than almost any other organization. Our two great airports and the rail system to Dulles are extraordinary job creators.”

Mr. Potter brings extensive management experience to his new position, having managed an organization with more than 500,000 employees as postmaster general. His work to enhance the workplace environment contributed to record levels of safety and employee satisfaction at the Postal Service. Computerworld named the Postal Service one of the best places to work in information and technology. Fortune chose it as one of the 50 Best Companies for minorities, and Careers & the disABLED recognized it as public-sector employer of the year.

A native of the Bronx and son of a Manhattan mail carrier, Potter began his career as a postal clerk in New York in 1978. He earned a degree in economics at Fordham University and a master’s degree as a Sloan Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MWAA operates Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International Airports — which combined served more than 40 million passengers in 2010 — as well as the 14-mile Dulles Toll Road. MWAA also is constructing the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, the 23-mile Silver Line, which will connect the existing Metro system to Reston, Dulles Airport and Ashburn.