Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB) officials received two of Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) top awards in aviation. William C. Potter’s 40-plus year career representing MLB as board chairman and airport attorney was honored with this year’s Distinguished Aviation Service Award. MLB also came out on top with the state’s award for Airport Project of the Year for the Embraer Legacy expansion, sharing the accolade with project contractor The Austin Company and project architect BRPH.
“Bill Potter has been instrumental in the growth and success at Orlando Melbourne International Airport,” says Greg Donovan, A.A.E., airport executive director. “His accomplishments go way beyond MLB, having made tremendous enhancements throughout the aviation industry worldwide. We could not be more proud or thankful for his leadership, experience and dedication.”
Potter, a decorated retired Colonel of the United States Air Force, has had a significant impact on the aviation industry. Throughout his career, he was an active member of Airports Council International’s Legal Committee, a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. for Florida’s airports and economic development, and led a group of international advisors and worked with organizations like International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to reconstruct the civil aviation system in Bosnia and Herzegovina after years of war and unrest.
MLB’s Embraer Legacy Expansion Project was selected as Airport Project of the Year based on several factors, including its contribution to bringing jobs to the community, overcoming challenges from Hurricane Matthew, construction planning that allowed continued Phenom jet production to be uninterrupted, and its cost-effectiveness.
