2019 Airport Business Top 40 Under 40: Josh Ball, C.M.

Growing up in Louisville, Ky., Josh Ball was amazed by all the planes he’d see coming in for a landing.

Massive cargo planes would come in parallel to the main interstate corridor and Ball would watch them wondering how they could even fly.

“When I got hired on, we had to do physical agility and we had to run with an airplane, he said. That was just this awe inspiring moment of ‘oh my goodness, I’ll get to do this every day?'"  

Ball serves as the director of public safety for the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, the operator of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), where he leads the safety and security of both SDF and general aviation reliever airport Bowman Field (LOU).

Ball is charged with providing a safe and secure environment for the guests, employees and tenants that use Louisville’s airports, especially during the annual Kentucky Derby activities.

"Every day is different," he said. "There are no two days that are the same and I love that." 

In the past year, Ball has launched a law enforcement officer-based passenger screening canine pilot program, a non-traveling individual gate pass program and tripled the presence of law enforcement in Louisville’s terminal.

He is working on a project in Louisville to provide state-of-the-art security systems that would allow for quicker responses by law enforcement and operations members while also providing quicker and more efficient customer experiences.

Ball is actively involved in the aviation industry, serving on the steering group of the ACI-NA Public Safety & Security Committee along with committee membership with the AAAE Transportation Security Services Committee, Operations, Safety, Planning and Emergency Management Committee, and the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network (ALEAN).

Ball also serves on the AAAE Emergency Management Conference Planning and ALEAN Conference Planning committees.