2012 Top 40 Under Forty: Amy Malick

Amy Malick

Deputy Commissioner of Sustainability;

Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA)

Date of Birth: 3-11-73

Years in Aviation: 1.5

Amy Malick joined the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) as Deputy Commissioner of Sustainability in February 2011. In this role, Malick is responsible for the execution of a wide array of sustainability initiatives for both O’Hare and Midway International Airports.

Malick is working to integrate sustainability in all airport-related activities, from design and construction to day-to-day operations and maintenance, including management of the energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts for one of the region’s largest energy portfolios. Under her direction, the CDA has received nearly $500,000 in energy efficiency grants and rebates, and laid the groundwork for a 52-acre solar farm at O’Hare.

Her work has included opening the first airport apiary last summer at O’Hare, which serves as a job training program for underserved communities in Chicago and has nearly doubled in size to 50 beehives in one year. Malick also helped launch a green concessions program at O’Hare and Midway, which is one of many elements of the CDA’s groundbreaking Sustainable Airport Manual (SAM) and “green airplane” rating system.

Malick also oversees CDA’s environmental compliance and noise management programs, including one of the nation’s largest residential sound insulation programs, which provides relief from aircraft noise for tens of thousands of residents that live near Chciago’s airports.

Malick came to the CDA with more than ten years of experience in environmental and transportation planning, including as Climate Program Director for ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, an international association of city and county governments focused on sustainability, climate change mitigation, and adaptation.

Amy worked for both the Chicago Transit Authority and City of Seattle as a transit planner, and graduated from the University of Washington with a Masters of Urban Planning degree.