Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens will replace Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)’s general manager Balram “B” Bheodari, in one of several significant leadership changes announced by the administration last week.
Jan Lennon, who currently serves as the airport’s deputy general manager, will take over as interim general manager beginning July 1. Lennon holds over 25 years of experience in the airport sector, specializing in airport security management. Bheodari will stay on to aid in the transition through June 30. Bheodari — who first joined the ATL team in 1999 before being appointed general manager in 2018 and again in 2021 — has served as a key player in shepherding the organization through the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, The Great Recession of 2008 and the recent COVID-19 shutdowns. Behodari has also led the airport’s current $3-billion-dollar concourse-widening project.
©2018 Decisive Moment Event Photojournalism, ATL Airport Headshots
Mayor Dickens acknowledged Bheodari for “his hard work leading the world’s busiest passenger airport” in a city-issued press release, which noted that the mayor would retain an executive search firm to recruit a permanent replacement for the position.
Bheodari thanked his colleagues for their support throughout his tenure in a LinkedIn post announcing his departure, adding, “I am optimistic about the future of ATL and have full confidence that the remarkable work we have accomplished will continue to prosper under the dynamic leadership of Janulyn (Jan) Lennon, a professional I have had the privilege of working alongside for over 20 years.”
