The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) today announced the recipients of the first “Logan Stars” award honoring non-Massport employees at Boston Logan International Airport whose actions epitomize the highest level of customer service. Massport will sponsor the award twice each year to give the nearly 11,000 members of the Logan Airport community an opportunity to honor their peers for superior individual achievement.

“It’s only human nature to take good work for granted but we intend to change that by singling out those people who go above and beyond the call of duty to make all of us proud to work at Logan Airport,” said Massport’s Director of Aviation Edward C. Freni. “It’s because of the people who work side by side with Massport at Logan that we enjoy a national reputation as a safe, secure, cutting-edge and customer-focused airport that really cares about the people who use us everyday.”

The award is designed to recognize the contributions of Logan employees in five separate categories:

Providing exceptional customer service.
Engaging in an act of Heroism.
Improving safety or security.
Increasing operational efficiency or excellence in a way that benefits the Logan community.
And creating innovations or new work processes that benefit the Logan community as a whole.

Receiving the “Logan Stars” award for exceptional customer service were, Nancy Abrams, customer service agent for Continental Airlines; Larry Jorash, general manager for Signature Flight Support; Bron McKenzie, American Airlines; Brian Patton, assistant general manager, Westfield Concession Management; and Matt Pawlyk, customer service manager for American Airlines. Receiving the award for engaging in an act of heroism are Phil Cote a Boston-based first officer for US Airways, Linda Corbett, shift manager for US Airways and Steven Tenney, lead screener for the Transportation Security Administration. Cote assisted a passenger suffering from a heart attack, Corbett assisted a group of students that had to be isolated when one of the students contracted meningitis and Tenney discovered a prohibited item packed in a piece of luggage.

Receiving the award for improving safety or security were, Graham Campbell, training manager at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency; Stephen Morash, director of emergency planning and response at Boston University; and Michael Russas, MEMA’s exercise coordinator. Although not airport employees, these individuals demonstrated leadership and initiative in helping the airport to create Operation Ready 2007, the largest mass casualty drill ever done at any airport in the world.

In recognition of individual Massport employees who have made a major work accomplishment to the Authority as a whole, Massport sponsors an “Outstanding Achievement Award” for superior contributions made by Authority employees.

Boston Logan’s $4.4 billion modernization program, including new terminals, parking facilities, roadways and airport concessions, has transformed the airport into a world-class facility capable of meeting the needs of local travelers and businesses in the 21st Century. In 2007 Boston Logan was ranked number one as the “Easisest Airport to Get To” by the business travel website, aviation.com.

Boston Logan serves as the gateway to the six-state New England region with a population of over 14 million and offers nonstop service to 77 domestic and 32 international destinations. Boston Logan also has more low fare flights than any airport in New England and in 2007 handled 28 million passengers.

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