John (Jack) E. Potter will join the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on July 18 as its president and CEO.
Potter was postmaster general for 10 years, a position in which he worked to modernize management and make it more customer focused and cost sensitive.
“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,” says Charles D. Snelling, chairman of the board of directors. “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.” As the son of a Manhattan, N.Y., 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.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to serve this region, and I thank the board members for the confidence they have placed in me,” he says. “This is both a great honor and a big challenge. 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.”
