Lysa (Scully) Leiponis is a forward-thinking board member and aviation industry leader who provides valuable advice to airport leaders, investors, airlines and other industry stakeholders. With her outstanding experience in the transportation industry spanning over 36 years, her advisory services cover all aspects of airport leadership and airport development. Lysa is an independent director of the Sky Harbor Group, an independent director of JFK New Terminal One LLC, a board member of the Vaughn College of Aeronautics & Technology, and a member of Parsons Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Strategy Advisory Board.
Prior to founding her advisory firm, Lysa had an illustrious 33-year career as an influential leader at the Port Authority of NY & NJ (PANYNJ). As former CEO and General Manager of LaGuardia Airport (LGA), she is a proven industry champion of world-class airport transformation. Her comprehensive leadership Her style has inspired airport staff and stakeholders to deliver a record capital investment program while ensuring the safe operation of 1,200 daily flights. Under her leadership, airport passenger numbers have grown to record levels, investments have reached record highs and regulatory compliance has remained flawless.
Lysa is leading the airport through an innovative $9 billion redevelopment program and is recognized as a founding partner in the largest public-private partnership in airport infrastructure history.
In addition to her role at LaGuardia Airport, Lysa spent more than 10 years in senior management positions at Aviation Headquarters, leading high-performing teams to drive Customer Excellence, Landside and Parking, and Concessions for the Port Authority’s five airport systems. , and conceived and built programs for strategy. She also served as corporate secretary for the Port Authority, an elected officer of the agency. Her years prior to Aviation at the Port Authority were rooted in an increasing level of responsibility within the finance department.
Lysa holds an MBA in Finance from Pace University – Lubin School of Business, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Rutgers University, and is a Certified Airport Employee in Operations and Security by the American Association of Airport Executives.
1 Please tell us about yourself and your current involvement in the aviation industry.
Lysa (Scully) Leiponis: After retiring from his rewarding career at PANYNJ, he still wanted to leverage his airport transformation expertise to drive superior customer experiences. By taking on the role of independent director and strategic advisor, I was able to act on this vision. As a board member of multiple companies, I work with exceptional leadership teams who are passionate about investing in airport infrastructure and creating world-class experiences.
What I am most proud of is that it is not often discussed. A collective team of public and private partners turned a vision into reality at a time of historic airport passenger numbers. Elsewhere in the country, large-scale airport redevelopment often calls for reduced flight activity, but not in New York!
With two complex and challenging construction projects (Terminals B & C) underway simultaneously in 2019, the airport broke all records for investment and passenger numbers. Still, the team persevered through difficult situations and never gave up. I am forever proud of their success and proud to be a part of it.
2 What is your view on the future of airports and the aviation industry?
Lysa (Scully) Leiponis: The pandemic initially halted air travel and slowed its recovery, but the industry has recovered to previous volumes and is expected to see significant growth over the next few years.All sectors that support aviation You will need talent in: engineering, flight operations, flight mechanics, flight management, environmental stewardship, and customer service. Educators are ready to provide the necessary academic foundation for these career paths, but they must also foster inclusion, empathy, flexibility, and adaptability in their students. The future depends on an agile workforce that can respond quickly to change and include everyone in the community.
3 What kind of projects have you been working on since retiring from PANYNJ?
Lysa (Scully) Leiponis: It’s not a project, but first and foremost it exists for my family. Airport management does not have fixed days or hours and often disturbs family time. Luckily, the board and advisory roles are very supportive of family life and allow me to contribute to the industry I love.
My work focus areas are addressing the impact of COVID on airports, addressing airport infrastructure needs during a time of constrained cash flow, developing strategies for future airport electrification and sustainability, And of course we have been working on global investment and development. Class terminals and hangar facilities.
4 As an officer of JFK’s new Terminal 1, what is your vision for delivering a world-class passenger experience?
Lysa (Scully) Leiponis: JFK’s vision for new Terminal 1 is a sustainable, future-oriented design that includes cutting-edge technology and a suite of facilities designed to deliver an exceptional customer experience to compete with the world’s top terminals . The state-of-the-art terminal serves as a global gateway to the New York metropolitan area while serving Local, Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBE) and Disability Veterans-Owned Businesses (SDVOB). As a director, I am excited to be a part of this project and restore the excellence of the New York region in the global aviation industry.
5 What are the most memorable highlights of your career at LaGuardia Airport?
Lysa (Scully) Leiponis: Beyond the obvious redevelopment related events, there are many memorable events in my time at LaGuardia Airport. You’ve worked with the team during a massive snowstorm, restored the airport from Superstorm His Sandy, solved a major plane crash, caroled throughout the terminal and chatted with customers while on vacation. Still others sit with Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, waiting for their flight and taking his blessing on behalf of all the airport staff at the top. We had a chapter on empowering women from the beginning.
Lastly, and most importantly, as part of the headquarters team, I am working on rebuilding the aviation sector after September 11th.
