JMAA Board of Commissioners Announces New Chief Executive Officer After Nationwide Search

By LSherie Dean
Jackson Municipal Airport Authority

New CEO Rosa Beckett (fourth from left) is welcomed by Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and the JMAA Board of Commissioners.

The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JMAA) is pleased to announce the Board of Commissioners’ appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Rosa M. Beckett.

Beckett brings extensive background and experience within the aviation and transportation industry and is well-equipped to lead the organization toward a successful future for aviation in Jackson and for all Mississippi travelers and businesses. JMAA engaged ADK Consulting, the premiere aviation executive placement firm in the country, to conduct the search for JMAA’s next chief executive officer, with more than 30 applicants seeking the CEO position.

JMAA Chief Executive Officer Rosa M. Beckett

“I am excited to welcome Ms. Rosa M. Beckett to Jackson as the new CEO of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority,” says Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. “She is a talented and groundbreaking choice to move our airports to the next level of aviation in Mississippi and is well-suited to continue the impressive growth we have experienced these last few years.”

Warren T. Herring, Chairman of the JMAA Board of Commissioners, states, “We are confident that Ms. Beckett possesses all the qualities necessary to have a very positive and professional impact on our organization and the entire Jackson/Capital region. In the selection process, Vice Chair Sharon F. Bridges, Esq., Commissioners Rica Lewis-Payton, Rickey D. Jones and I sought a candidate with an abundance of knowledge in the aviation industry, strong leadership skills and the proven ability to take our airports into the future. Our two airports play vital roles in the economic development of central Mississippi, and we envision the progress and growth continuing for many years under the leadership of Ms. Beckett.”

“I am honored and thrilled to have been selected by the Board of Commissioners as the new CEO of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority,” says Beckett. “I look forward to working with the talented team at JMAA to continue driving growth, enhancing operational efficiency and providing exceptional services to our valued passengers and partners.”

Beckett comes to Jackson from the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA), operating four airports covering northeast Florida and southeast Georgia, after having served as chief administrative officer (CAO) and in other key roles. She brings more than 22 years of broad experience in the aviation industry, including as CAO of Fraport USA, an airport leader in concessions at six key cities in the United States, delivering $500M in sales. Beckett has a proven track record of success in airport strategic planning and implementation, budget strategy, system assessment and change management, human resources and talent development, business intelligence and analytics and stakeholder and client relations, as well as aviation consulting.

She is a graduate of the University of North Florida (MBA and MHRM) and the University of Florida (BS, Advertising and Business), has been active in numerous airport and transport industry organizations (Airports Council International-North America/ACI-NA, Airport Minority Advisory Council/AMAC, American Association of Airport Executives/AAAE, International Civil Aviation Organization/ICAO, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials/COMTO) and has spoken globally on aviation issues. She holds the esteemed designation of International Airport Professional designated by ICAO-ACI and is a Certified Member of the AAAE.

Adds Chairman Herring, “On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I want to sincerely thank Mr. John Means, Jr., for his dedication and leadership throughout his time as JMAA’s Interim CEO. During his tenure, JAN airport passenger traffic surpassed 1.2 million travelers in 2022, a number not seen in over a decade. His commitment to ensuring the success of our airports in the post-Covid era is appreciated, and we are grateful for his many contributions to our organization, our airports and metro Jackson. We look forward to his continued work toward our progress as we strive for JMAA excellence.”