Kennedy leaves Airport

Robert Kennedy, who had been serving as former interim deputy general manager, has left Hartsfield-Jackson to pursue other interests.

Kennedy began working at Hartsfield-Jackson in 1993 as cargo development officer. Since then, he has held the positions of director of Marketing and Public Relations and assistant general manager of Operations, Maintenance and Security (OMS).

During Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s search for a new Airport general manager, Kennedy led Hartsfield-Jackson for three months in an interim role. When Louis Miller was selected as the new general manager, Kennedy stepped in as interim deputy general manager.

New leaders named

Several members of Hartsfield-Jackson’s senior staff have moved into new positions:
 
• Balram Bheodari, who had been serving as interim assistant general manager for Operations, Maintenance and Security (OMS), now is interim deputy general manager.
• Richard Duncan, director of Security, takes over as interim assistant general manager for OMS.
• Roosevelt Council Jr., formerly interim chief financial officer, has been named assistant general manager for Finance and Administrative Services. 

Autistic adults get familiar with Airport

On July 19, Hartsfield-Jackson, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and AirTran Airlines employees led a tour for young adults with autism to give them experience in navigating the Airport so that they will be prepared to travel alone.

The tour was an initiative of the Airport’s Accessibility Enhance Program (AEP), a partnership among the Department of Aviation, airlines, the TSA and advocacy organizations within the community.  

“The AEP will be advocating on behalf of people with disabilities, the elderly, families and others for whom barriers exist,” said Jan Lister, customer service manager. “It will also provide these organizations a forum to discuss innovative measures and best practices of airports around the country.”

Jan Lister, customer service manager, greets a group of young adults with autism during a tour on July 19.

Airport exceeds goal at annual blood drive

Hartsfield-Jackson’s seventh annual blood drive on July 27 yielded 106 pints of blood — exceeding the goal of 73 pints set by the Airport and the American Red Cross. The total also topped the 63 pints of blood collected in last year’s blood drive.

The American Red Cross reports that each pint of donated blood can save as many as three lives.

Rubbie Lucas (left) rolls up her sleeve for American Red Cross employee Alessandra Dickinson.

Business leaders get Airport info,
tour international terminal

Balram Bheodari, interim deputy general manager, and Jim Drinkard, assistant general manager for Planning and Development, shared information about the Airport with members of the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Economic Development Committee on July 27.

More than 50 people, including representatives of several leading metro companies, attended the meeting at the Airport’s Tech Campus, where they heard about the status of construction projects and improvements, plans for expansion of cargo and the Airport’s economic impact.

The group also got a tour of the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, which is set to open in spring 2012.

Balram Bheodari, interim deputy general manager, discusses developments at Hartsfield-Jackson.