2023 AMAC Catalyst Awards Honorees
Catalyst—A person or thing whose talk, enthusiasm or energy causes a change.
The AMAC Catalyst Awards honors AMAC members who have contributed outstandingly to further AMAC’s goals and mission. AMAC members are invited in advance to nominate individuals or organizations—award recipients are honored at the live event.
Voting Criteria
To vote in the 2024 AMAC Catalyst Awards, your AMAC membership must be current as of May 1, 2024. Need to join or renew? Update your membership, join or renew online at: amac-org.com/membership.
Timeline
- Nomination Period: March 20–June 21, 2024
- AMAC Catalyst Awards Luncheon: August 6, 2024
Award Categories
Airport Design Innovation and Inclusion Award: This award honors an airport or corporation that has demonstrated creativity and originality in its project design; met or exceeded DBE and MWBE participation goals over a period of 2 years in an architectural, engineering or construction project; and is an active member who acknowledges AMAC’s value and purpose and participates in AMAC programs, webinars and events.
Airport Concessions Innovation and Inclusion Award: This award honors an airport or corporation whose concessions program has shown commitment, creativity and originality in its efforts to achieve and exceed its ACDBE goal over a period of 2 years and is an active member who acknowledges AMAC’s value and purpose and participates in AMAC programs, webinars and events.
Advocate of the Year Award: This award recognizes an individual within the industry who has been a diversity inclusion advocate and active AMAC member.
Small Business Partner Award: This award honors an AMAC certified and/or designated small business member that has demonstrated support for AMAC’s mission and goals and has significantly impacted its community and workforce.
Airport of the Year Award: This award honors an airport for significant contributions toward the realization of DBE, ACDBE or EEO goals within an airport (e.g., program implementation, new program initiatives to foster growth and development of DBEs or encouraging employment, research, litigation, etc.) in support of diversity inclusion.
Hall of Fame Award: This award honors an individual who has demonstrated sustainable and profound contributions to the aviation industry and positively impacted diversity inclusion. This individual has provided continuous support for AMAC’s mission and goals and the growth and development of aviation diversity.
Inclusive Leadership Award: This award honors an AMAC business or corporation member that has demonstrated diversity and inclusion within its procurement and employment corporate structure. Nominees are viewed within the industry as a leader in supplier diversity and best practices and fosters business capacity with their diverse partners.
Local Small Business Champion: This award honors an individual within the AMAC Airport Business Diversity Conference region who exemplifies AMAC’s mission of diversity inclusion through their local or regional advocacy efforts on behalf of women and minorities. Nominees are viewed locally as champions for small business growth and inclusion.
Emerging Leaders Award: This award honors an AMAC member who is a young professional (ages 19–40) in the aviation industry who is aspirational and energetic in their career approaches. They reflect and possess the ability for ongoing exceptional growth in contribution(s) to their profession and impact on the industry, including motivating and inspiring others.
AMAC Airport Design Innovation and Inclusion Award: Hudson Design & Construction Group
AMAC Airport Concessions Innovation and Inclusion Award: Khalia Moore, Senior Manager, Airport Dining & Retail, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
AMAC Advocate of the Year: Nick Crews, CEO and Managing Partner, Crews
AMAC Small Business Partner Award: Kurt and Lachelle Mangum of TMG Hospitality USA
AMAC Inclusive Leadership Award: Sarah Levy Imberman, Owner, Sarah’s Foods
AMAC Local Small Business Champion Award: Chef Johnny Hernandez, Founder/President, Grupo La Gloria and True Flavors Inc.
AMAC Emerging Leaders Award: Anita Cobb, Market Leader, Aviation Equity Strategies, Mead & Hunt
AMAC Hall of Fame Award: Ron Gomes, Vice President, Strategic Alliances, HMSHost
AMAC Airport of the Year Award: San Antonio Airport System
AMAC President’s Award: Nancy West, Chair, AMAC PAC Board of Directors; Founder & Managing Member, Exstare Federal Services Group, LLC
AMAC Charles “CJ” Johnson Award: Derryl Benton, Executive Vice President of Business Development, HMSHost
AMAC Chairman’s Award: Dwight Pullen Jr., At-Large Director, AMAC Board of Directors; Chair, AMAC Aviation Professional Development Committee; Senior Vice President, Global Aviation Americas Leader, AECOM
AMAC Airport Director of the Year Award: Lance Lyttle, Managing Director, Aviation, Port of Seattle (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)
AMAC Design Innovation and Inclusion Award: BOWA Construction
AMAC Airport Concessions Innovation Award: Hudson
AMAC Advocate of the Year Award: Tamela Lee, Vice President, Business Diversity and Development; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
AMAC Small Business Partner Award: Greg “GP” Plummer, Director, AMAC Foundation Board of Directors; CEO & Managing Partner, Concord Collective
AMAC Inclusive Leader Award: Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
AMAC Airport of the Year Award: O’Hare & Midway International Airports
AMAC President’s Award: Keiva Rodriques, Deputy Chief Engineer, Division of Planning and Engineering, Maryland Aviation Administration
AMAC Chairman’s Award: Andrella Kenner, Director, AMAC Foundation Board of Directors; Founder & President, CI2 Aviation
AMAC Local Small Business Champion Award: Dee M. Robinson, CEO, Robinson Hill
AMAC Leaper Award: Jose Cuevas, Senior Manager, Commercial, JFK International Air Terminal
AMAC Hall of Fame Award: Corliss Stone-Littles, Director, AMAC PAC Board of Directors, Managing Member, Corliss Stone-Littles, LLC
AMAC Charles “CJ” Johnson Award: John Clark, Senior Vice President of Development, Airports and Airlines, SSP America
AMAC Advocate of the Year Award – Courtney Thornton, Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, Hudson Group
AMAC Airport of the Year Award – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
AMAC Airport Concessions Innovation and Inclusion Award – Jackmont Hospitality
AMAC Airport Design Innovation and Inclusion Award – Los Angeles World Airports
AMAC Chairman’s Award – Angela Gittens, (Retired) Former Director General, Airports Council International
AMAC Hall of Fame Award – Derryl Benton, Executive Vice President, Business Development, HMSHost
AMAC Inclusive Leadership Award – SP Plus Airport Services
AMAC Local Small Business Champion Award – William “Bill” Swift, Treasurer, AMAC Board of Directors / Owner, Business Traveler Services, Inc. and Swift Services, Inc.
AMAC Small Business Partner Award – CI2 Aviation
TO BE POSTED SOON!
Airport Design Innovation and Inclusion Award – Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Small Business Partner – Newburns Management Group LLC
Airport Concessions Innovation and Inclusion Award – Orlando International Airport
AMAC Advocate of the Year Award – Lauryn Mangum, Stellar Partners Inc.
AMAC Airport of the Year – Tampa International Airport
AMAC Hall of Fame Award – Joe Lyons, DFS Group
AMAC Hall of Fame Award – Bettye Dixon, Concourse Concessions
AMAC Hall of Fame Award – Clarence Daniels, CMS Hospitality
AMAC Inclusive Leader Award – The Hudson Group
Local Small Business Champion Award – Michael Lawson
President’s Award – Brison Hardin, Concourse Concessions
Chairman’s Award – Ann McNeill, MCO Construction & Services, Inc.
AMAC Conference Founding Member Award – Leon Watkins, Posthumously Awarded
AMAC Conference Founding Member Award – Audrey Simmons, Retired
AMAC Conference Founding Member Award – Esterlene Lewis, Retired
AMAC Conference Founding Member Award – Clark Sharpe, Shellis Management Services
Airport Concessions Innovation and Inclusion Award – Fraport USA
Airport Design and Inclusion Award – Austin Commercial
Small Business Partner Award – Barbara Oliver, MBE Magazine
Advocate of the Year – Raymond Christy, Salt Lake City International Airport
Inclusive Leader Award – Stellar Partners
Airport of the Year Award – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Hall of Fame Award – Jon Mathiasen, Richmond International Airport
President’s Award – Jack Thomas, St. Louis County Government
Local Small Business Champion – Eddie Rye
Chairman’s Awards – Lance Lyttle and The Port of Seattle
Chairman’s Award—SSP America
President’s Award—Mamie Mallory, Federal Aviation Administration
Hall of Fame Award—Robin McCullum Diaz, Hudson Group
Airport AEC (Architectural, Engineering and Construction), Innovation and Inclusion Award—Frank Wengler, AECOM
Airport Top Flight Award—Indianapolis International Airport
Advocate of the Year Award—Bob Bouta, Avis Budget Group
Airport Concessions Award—Philadelphia International Airport
Small Business Award—VoltAir Consulting Engineers
Airport Architectural, Engineering, Construction (AEC) Innovation and Conclusion Award—Arthur Morton, Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc.
Airport Concessions and Inclusion Award—Tanya Allen, Hojeij Branded Foods/APU JV, LLC
Advocate of the Year Award—Janus C. Holder, EJE Travel Retailer
AMAC Strategic Partner Award—Eric Zwiercan, Philadelphia International Airport
Airport Top Flight Award—Cheryl Hawkins, Tampa International Airport
Hall of Fame Award—William Kirk, K & L Gates, LLP
President’s Award—Ajay Ravulapalli, MaMa Organic Herbs
Chairman’s Award—Courtney C. Thornton, The Hudson Group