| Mayor
John F. Street Appoints Charles Isdell As Director Of Aviation At Philadelphia
International Airport
Mayor John F. Street
today announced the appointment of Charles Isdell to Director of Aviation for
the City of Philadelphia. In his new post, Isdell will be responsible for
directing the development, planning and administration of all the activities of
the city's Division of Aviation, including the Philadelphia International
Airport, Northeast Philadelphia Airport and the management of 600 airport
personnel. His appointment is effective immediately.
"Charlie brings to this
very important post an exceptional management style, intricate knowledge of the
city's complex aviation system and the character, expertise and versatility in
skills required to run one of the country's fastest growing airports," Mayor
Street said. " His public sector service is equally impressive - having served
the city for nearly 29 years in a variety of positions. His vast industry
record and stellar achievements will serve our city extremely
well."
As Director of Aviation,
Isdell will serve as the city's chief aviation administrator in local, state,
national and international affairs, and as liaison with state and federal
agencies and legislators in marketing the airport system and improving air
service. Isdell will work under the general direction of the mayor and the
commerce director and will earn a salary of $150,000, annually.
As interim Director of
Aviation for the past seven months, Isdell developed and implemented the
airport's readiness plan for the Republican National Convention. He
re-engineered the airport's planning team and initiated a major update of its
master plan. He also recently created a new unit within the operations
department that will implement an automated vehicle identification system to
monitor bus, taxi and limousine usage in order to improve efficiency, customer
service and revenue collection.
"I am honored and
thrilled that Mayor Street has given me the opportunity to lead one of the
nation's major airports," Isdell said. "The fact that it is the airport in my
hometown makes it all the more gratifying."
Isdell is intimately
familiar with the operations of the airport, having served in a variety of
management posts at the airport for the past 11 years. He has served as the
airport's first deputy director of aviation for operations of the Philadelphia
International Airport. In that position, he functioned as the airport's chief
operating officer, managing all activity on the airfield, in the terminal
complex and on landside areas. He reviewed and approved all operational permits
and approved all construction planning documents. He had oversight over the
consolidation of airport security and technical functions and successfully led
the airport's Y2K compliance project.
Prior to being first
deputy director, Isdell was airport chief of staff, secretary to the Airport
Advisory Board and deputy director of aviation for operations and maintenance.
He has on two other occasions, served as acting director of aviation in 1996
and 1999.
In addition, Isdell
managed the airport's purchasing department and created a database used for
monitoring purchases against the annual operating budget. He also . directed a
$3.1 million upgrade of the airport fleet through the acquisition of 85 new
airport vehicles.
"We are very fortunate to
have someone with Charlie's skills and experience to lead our airport into the
21st century," said James Cuorato, the city's director of commerce. "His vision
for the future growth of the airport, combined with his strong operations
background, make him the right person for this job. I look forward to working
with Charlie to achieve our goal of making Philadelphia International one of
the nation's premier airports."
Isdell achieved a
Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts in 1972 and a Master's Degree in Education in
1986 from Temple University. In 1995, he won a Martin Gruss Public Management
Fellowship from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is
accredited by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and is
currently pursuing a certificate in Aviation Safety and Security at George
Washington University.
Isdell is a lifelong
resident of Mayfair in Northeast Philadelphia.
For Information
Contact:
Mark Pesce
(215) 937-6944
Philadelphia International Airport, owned and operated by the City of
Philadelphia, is a self-sustaining entity that operates without the use of
local tax dollars. It is one of the largest economic engines in Pennsylvania,
generating an estimated $6 billion in revenue for the regional economy, and
employing a workforce of nearly 20,000.
12/19/00
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