“Keeping an open mind, and remaining open for even a moment, can invite a life-changing connection,” says Dan Mann, executive director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. And let’s just say, the person responsible for both the Muhammad Ali International Airport and Bowman Field knows a bit about making connections.
Raised in northwest Ohio, Dan grew up spending time with his mother’s family in the Paducah area. “When I was a kid, we made pilgrimages down for family reunions, and I always had a great time going to the farm,” he says. These trips laid the groundwork for a love of the Bluegrass State. It was this fondness that eventually brought him to Louisville and his position at the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. However, years before, it was a connection to aviation that opened the door to his career calling.
To attend Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Dan joined the Air National Guard. His mom and dad both worked in factories, and Dan was the first generation in his family to go to college. The Guard assists its members with college tuition, and Dan’s parents were there to support him as he went to officer training school and became a B52 navigator.
It was while serving in the Air National Guard that Dan’s passion for aviation took flight. “I fell in love with the aviation part,” he says. “After Desert Storm in 1992, I wanted to do something else, so airport management and operations was a logical fit.”
The Guard brought many benefits and connections into Dan’s life, one of which was a lifelong friend who served alongside him and then joined him at college. Over the years, Dan stayed in contact with this friend. So, when it was time for Dan to leave the Air Force and look for employment, it was his friend who assisted him with his first job opportunity. During one conversation, Dan’s bestie invited him to a large airport conference (The Great Lakes Chapter Conference), saying, “Just come along and meet a bunch of people.”
Attending that conference was a game changer, and six months later, Dan had a job that was born out of staying connected to old friends and being open to meeting new ones. “Your network and connectivity is really vital,” Dan says. “You never know who you’re talking to or what kind of advice someone might give you.”
Dan’s love for business, finance, and aviation is a blend of interests that soars, and this combined passion energizes him today. “Balancing budgets and finding creative ways to generate revenue is all real exciting to me,” he says. “When I got out of the Air Force, it was an opportunity for me to do both.”
Becoming airport director for several commercial service airports led him to his dream job here in Louisville. “When I first started in this business at entry-level positions, I always dreamed of running this airport in Louisville for a host of reasons,” Dan says. Living in Kentucky was one, and Dan adds, “I knew there were opportunities to grow air service… and there’s just a lot going for the airport.”
His instincts were right on. Growing air service was a vision Dan wanted to fulfill, and he and his team have done just that. The year 2018 was SDF’s second-best year ever, and each year following has been a record-setter for travel. With UPS growing faster than you can open your deliveries and air service increasing, terminal and runway upgrades became imperative.
Through all of this, Dan remains focused on connecting with travelers, and he’s always taking steps to ensure the customer aspect of air travel is just “plane” lovely. “We want to make the customer experience better than anywhere,” he says.
By Tonilyn Hornung | Photo Jeff Ivory
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