Top 40 Under 40: Jennifer Prihoda

Oct. 7, 2013
2013 Top 40 Under 40 Airport Business

Jennifer Prihoda

Assistant Manager of Airline Affairs

Metropolitan Airports Commission

Date of Birth: 31

Years in Aviation: 8

Jennifer Prihoda‘s passion for traveling has been inspirational to her success in the airport business. She began flight training after one year of college and pursued an undergraduate degree in aviation management.

Since November 2007, her position has been at the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). As the Assistant Manager of Airline Affairs, she manages over 80 airline and real estate leases for operators at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

Her responsibilities include negotiating the leases for space occupied by airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and various service providers at MSP; and working with MAC legal and finance departments to ensure lease compliance and resolve delinquent tenant accounts. Jennifer has worked on numerous projects, including successfully managing a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for a full service bank, ATMs, and the foreign currency exchange at MSP. She was selected to be part of a benchmarking team that traveled to 12 prominent airports in North America in 2012 and reported back to senior leaders at the MAC on the best practices to implement at MSP. Jennifer also chairs the MAC Wellness Committee, which has gained MAC recognition as a Fit Friendly company by the American Heart Association.

Jennifer began her career in aviation in 2005 as an intern for Northwest Airlines in the A330 Flight Operations Department. She joined the MAC as the Properties and Projects Administrator and her savvy business acumen and dedication to excellence gained her a promotion in December 2011 to the position she holds today.

Jennifer earned her private pilot’s license in December 2006 and holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Aviation Management from St Cloud State University. Jennifer is a member of Women in Aviation-Stars of the North Chapter and earned her Competent Communicator designation through Toastmasters International in 2012. Jennifer volunteers her time as a Big Sister with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities Chapter and is enrolled inHamlineUniversity’s MBA program, with a graduation expected in April 2014.