Melinda Montgomery, AAE, has been selected as Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for the Norfolk Airport Authority. In this role she will oversee regulatory compliance and the efficient and effective running of certain day-to-day operations at Norfolk International Airport (ORF), which served nearly 5 million passengers in 2024 as the aviation gateway for Coastal Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
Montgomery is an industry-recognized leader who has held executive roles at New Jersey’s Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN) for more than 25 years, including the past 13 years as airport manager. She will begin her new role at ORF in early June.
Her duties will include oversight of its Operations, Field Maintenance and Security & Public Safety departments. Montgomery will also lead the development and maintenance of operational documents such as the Airport Certification Manual, Airport Security Program, Wildlife Hazard Management Plan and Airport Emergency Plan, as well as ensuring compliance with the FAA’s CFR Part 139 and 49 CFR Part 1542 requirements.
Montgomery earned a bachelor's degree in Aeronautics and Management from New York’s Dowling College, and later obtained a Master of Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She earned certifications from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) as both an Accredited Airport Executive and International Aerodrome Certified Employee. She is also a two-time recipient of the F. Russell Hoyt Presidential Award, presented annually by AAAE’s Northeast Chapter and a National AAAE Leadership Award in recognition of an individual’s ongoing commitment and dedication to the airport industry.
“I’m extremely excited to enter this new chapter of my career at an airport that’s experienced tremendous growth in passenger volume while also improving and expanding its physical infrastructure,” Montgomery said. “The Authority’s organization is also adapting to meet future needs, and I look forward to playing a role in effecting those changes for the team’s continued success.”
