Executive Director, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport
As Executive Director of Aviation at the Little Rock National Airport in Arkansas, Ron Mathieu holds a commitment to the safety and integrity of the airport and its passengers, as well as its employees. Drawing from more than 25 years of experience as a private pilot, he has served in a variety of senior management positions in the aviation industry. After graduating from the Florida Technical Institute with a B.A. in Aviation Management, Mr. Mathieu worked at many high-volume international airports in New York and New Jersey, including La Guardia, John F. Kennedy International, and Newark. In 2002, Ron Mathieu returned to Florida to serve as Security Manager at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and in 2003 he was later promoted to Director of Operations following a national search. He held direct responsibility for all airside and terminal activity, security operations, personnel, and asset management. During this period, Mr. Mathieu also supervised operations at North Perry, another large airport in Broward County. In addition to his many professional obligations, he remained actively involved in his community during his time in Florida. For three years, he served as a board member of the Victory School, which assists individuals with autism and behavioral challenges, alongside his wife. Ron Mathieu subsequently relocated to Arkansas, where he joined the Little Rock National Airport as Executive Director of Aviation. In his role at the airport, he maintains a commitment to safety. He also addresses a number of other administrative issues, such as a multimillion-dollar renovation scheduled to take place over the course of the next 10 to 15 years. The airport, established in 1917, will receive many upgrades, including renovations to the checkpoint, ticket, and lobby areas. Ron Mathieu currently manages the ongoing construction efforts in conjunction with his administrative responsibilities at Little Rock National Airport. In addition to the planned improvements, Ron Mathieu also supervises technology upgrades, which the airport has already begun to implement. With the overarching goal of customer satisfaction, he hopes that these advances will alleviate the stress that often accompanies flying by allowing passengers to accurately check the status of their flights. For convenience, customers can access flight-tracking monitors from the airport’s website and feel confident in their accuracy since the updates occur every five minutes. According to Ron Mathieu, measures like these, combined with the airport’s low prices and favorable geographic location, have helped it to prosper during the recession. Ron Mathieu also servers as on Policy Review Committee Board of the American Association of Airport Executives, AAAE, and he is also the National Chairman of AAAE’s Diversity Committee. In his free time, Ron Mathieu enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf. He also finds time to give back to the community. A charitable individual, Mr. Mathieu contributes to the American Red Cross and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.