2025 Airport Business Top 40 Under 40: Dawn Mineker, PE

·        Hometown: Branford, Connecticut

·        Alma Mater: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

·        How many years have you been in aviation? 14

·        What’s one airport that inspires you? Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport

Dawn Mineker has built her career on transforming ideas into reality, delivering critical infrastructure projects that are shaping Rhode Island’s airport system for the future. As a Professional Engineer, she has overseen planning, design, and construction efforts spanning runways, taxiways, cargo facilities, and terminal upgrades—work that forms part of a capital program valued at more than a billion dollars.

Mineker’s path into aviation has been intentional and deliberate. She began by sharpening her skills as an airport designer, then broadened her expertise through project management and construction oversight. That foundation gave her the confidence to move to the owner’s side at the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, where she now plays a leading role in advancing projects that balance technical excellence with passenger-focused outcomes.

Her influence extends beyond Rhode Island. Mineker is an active participant in national forums such as the ACC/AAAE Planning, Design, and Construction Symposium and has built strong working relationships with TSA, FAA headquarters, and local ADO offices. Known for her competence, professionalism, and integrity, she has earned respect across the industry while also serving as a role model for women in aviation.

For Mineker, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing a vision take shape. “What I love most is turning vision into reality,” she said. “There’s something incredibly powerful about taking an idea on paper and transforming it into a space where people move, connect, and experience the world.” That passion continues to drive her mission of building airports that connect communities and prepare for tomorrow.