Gov. Dannel P. Malloy named the head of a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and General Electric to lead the new authority charged with overseeing operation of all state-owned airports.
Mary Ellen S. Jones of Glastonbury, who will chair the eleven-member Connecticut Airport Authority, was one of four members appointed Tuesday by Malloy.
All members of the authority, which was created by Malloy and the General Assembly this past spring, must have business and management experience and expertise in financial planning, budgeting and assessment, marketing, master planning, aviation, or transportation management.
Jones is president of the Engine Alliance, a cooperative venture between Pratt and GE that manufacturers and supports the GP7000 engine for the Airbus A380 aircraft.
Previously, Jones headed Pratt & Whitney’s Commercial Engines & Global Services Marketing organization, and worked for three years in Toulouse, France, directing Pratt’s operations at Airbus headquarters.
Other Malloy appointees announced Tuesday are:
- Brett C. Browchuk of Avon, senior vice president of service operations at CIGNA Healthcare.
- Charles R. Gray of Stamford, the senior regional manager for Hosted Solutions at NCR Corporation, which specializes in technology for the hospitality and retail industries.
- And Michael T. Long of Simsbury, who is vice chairman for the board of directors for Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks.
Though the authority will oversee all state-owned airports, one of its principal tasks is to incorporate the largest — Bradley International — into a comprehensive, statewide economic growth strategy.
“Bradley Airport is centrally located, easily accessible and it could be a major economic driver in our state – if we approach its operations and management strategically,” the governor said. “The CAA will free Bradley from the bureaucracy that has hamstrung the airport in the past and help to make it more attractive to new routes, new airlines and new ways to increase our state’s economic viability.”
Another four appointments to the authority will come from the top legislator from each party in both the House and Senate.
The remaining three slots go to state Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker, and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith, who serve in an ex-officio basis.