Airport Authority Board Formally Approves Hiring Executive Director

The Board of Directors formally approved the hiring of the agency new executive director, Kevin A. Dillon, at its meeting Thursday.

Board Chairwoman Mary Ellen S. Jones said Dillon is CAA’s first executive director.

“He’s the first employee of CAA,” Jones said.

Dillon, who will be paid $270,000 annually, is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC)and is transitioning to his new position as executive director of the CAA. He will join the CAA full-time in mid-July and report directly to the CAA Board of Directors.

The authority hired an executive search firm to aid its quest for a full-time employee to head the agency, Vice Chairman Michael T. Long said. The firm and the board's executive search committee looked at documents from 50 potential applicants and narrowed the group to nine.

In April, the nine applicants were interviewed and the group was narrowed to four finalists, Long said. At a special board meeting in April, the committee recommended its preferred candidate, and a company was hired to do a background search, Long said.

When that was completed, an employment agreement was negotiated and agreed to, Long said.

That 14-15 page agreement was ratified by the CAA board during its meeting Thursday at .

Dillon said he was attracted to the job because it is a great opportunity for an aviation professional to be part of the start of an agency. He said he will be concentrating on things like route creation for Bradley.

“There’s a lot to capitalize on here,” Dillon said. “Everything rolls out of a healthy route structure.”

His previous positions include Deputy Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Airport Director for Manchester-Boston Airport, Director, Aviation Operations at the Massachusetts Port Authority, and several managerial roles at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey including Acting General Manager of LaGuardia Airport.

Dillon said one of his advantages is his knowledge of the competitiveness in the region.

“One of the things I bring to the table is lots of experience in New England,” Dillon said.

As he transitions to his new job, Dillon said he also wants to get to know the other five general aviation airports (Danielson, Groton/New London, Hartford Brainard, Waterbury-Oxford, and Windham airports) that are under CAA’s purview.