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Massport Board Names Chief Legal Counsel David Mackey as Interim CEO

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Port Authority Board today named Chief Legal Counsel David S. Mackey as interim Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Massport. Mackey came to Massport in 2001, after spending seven years at the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Mackey, 54, will fill on an interim basis the vacancy created by Thomas J. Kinton Jr.’s retirement. In his tenure at Massport, Mackey has led the agency’s response to numerous complex legal issues, including runway development, airport security issues, the investigations and litigation prompted by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the transfer of the Tobin Bridge to MassDOT and Massport’s acquisition of Worcester Regional Airport.

"Dave has the support of the entire board. His selection is a positive reflection of the many talented people we have working at Massport," said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jeffrey Mullan, who also serves as Chairman of the Massport Board. "While we look forward to working with Dave during this interim period as we transition the leadership at Massport, I know I speak for the Board in thanking Tom Kinton for his leadership and service to Massport and to the Commonwealth over the last 35 years."

Kinton will retire June 1. Massport has retained Boyden Global Executive Search to assist the agency in identifying candidates for the position. A formal job description is posted on massport.com and in industry publications.

The screening committee will continue to work with Boyden to identify finalists for the permanent position for the full board to consider. The full Board will ultimately select the next CEO and determine compensation based on the candidate’s experience. No state tax dollars are used to fund salaries, operations or capital improvements at Massport facilities.

Under Massport policy, Mackey is eligible to receive a one-time bonus of up to 10 percent of his current pay for the period of time he was Interim CEO and Executive Director. Under the policy, the bonus is given at the completion of the term as Interim CEO and Executive Director.

Mackey graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and summa cum laude from Amherst College. He lives in Needham with his family. Mackey is an active volunteer in both professional and civic arenas. He is Chair of the Board of Bar Overseers, which adjudicates professional discipline matters for lawyers licensed to practice in Massachusetts, and is also the immediate past Chair of the Airports Council International (ACI) Legal Committee. He also volunteers as an SAT tutor at City Roots Alternative High School in Roxbury.

Massport owns and operates Boston Logan International Airport, public cargo and cruise terminals in the Port of Boston, Hanscom Field and Worcester Regional Airport. Massport is a financially self-sustaining public authority whose premier transportation facilities generate more than $8 billion annually, and enhance and enable economic growth and vitality in New England. Boston Logan, 15 minutes from the intersection of Route 128 and I-90 and five minutes from downtown Boston, serves as the gateway to the New England region and offers nonstop service to 70 domestic and 32 international destinations and in 2010 handled 27.4 million passengers. Boston Logan is the Air Line Pilot Association’s Airport of the Year for 2008 because of its commitment to safety. Over the past decade, the airport spent $4.5 billion on a modernization program that includes new terminals, parking facilities, roadways and airport concessions, and has been transformed into a world-class 21st Century facility. The airport generates $7 billion in total economic impact each year.

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The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) owns and operates Boston Logan International Airport, public terminals in the Port of Boston, Hanscom Field and Worcester Regional Airport. Massport is a financially self-sustaining public authority whose premier transportation facilities generate more than $8 billion annually, and enhance and enable economic growth and vitality in New England. No state tax dollars are used to fund operations or capital improvements at Massport facilities.

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