CLEVELAND, April 21, 2006 – Mayor Frank G. Jackson has named Ricky D. Smith, Sr. as the next Director of Port Control for the City of Cleveland. Mr. Smith will oversee the administration of Cleveland Hopkins International and Burke Lakefront Airports as well as the use of City-owned land along Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River. Mr. Smith is currently the Senior Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA), which is responsible for the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Martin State Airport.
Mr. Smith will join Mayor Jackson at a news conference on Friday, April 21, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. in the Red Room, City Hall, 601 Lakeside Avenue.
Over the last 17 years, Mr. Smith has had management responsibility for business administration, airport operations, planning and engineering, marketing and air service development - virtually every major function of a large commercial airport. He is credited with overseeing the development and implementation of BWI's $2 billion expansion program, including the new Southwest Airlines terminal. Mr. Smith led the development of a new concession and retail program, a new airport/airline use and lease agreement and expansion of the airport's domestic and international air service program.
He earned a master's degree in business administration from Loyola College in Maryland in 1999 and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Howard University in 1987. His leadership development pursuits include participation in programs such as the Greater Baltimore Committee's The Leadership Association and the world-renowned University of Maryland's Government Executive Institute.
Mr. Smith has an outstanding reputation in the industry as well as the civic community. He is a member of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials' Standing Committee on Aviation; a Board Member of the Airport Minority Advisory Council, and Chair of its Government Affairs Committee; a member of the Transportation Research Board Security Research Funding Committee; and Chair of the Conference of Minority Transportation Official's Maryland Chapter.
In the interest of full disclosure, Mr. Smith shared information during the candidate selection process about a 2003 parking violation that escalated into a trespassing charge which was later dismissed. "The parking violation was overblown and the court agreed not to file the incident. Until recently, I was not aware that the matter was recorded," he said.
Mayor Jackson thanked Mr. Smith for disclosing the information and does not view the incident as a hindrance to Mr. Smith's ability to perform his duties.
Mr. Smith is expected to start working for the City of Cleveland in mid-June.
