Window Seat Issue No3 December 2013 by Miami International Airport

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

Issue No. 3

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

December 2013

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

SKARLETT CHAVARRIA Landside Operations

Skarlett Chavarria recently took customer care to a whole new level. While working in the North Terminal, she encountered an elderly woman who was crying and in need of help. The passenger had arrived from Cuba and no one was here to pick her up. Skarlett tried calling the telephone number the passenger had but it was not correct. She tried to calm the passenger and assured her that no matter what, she would assist her. At the end of her shift Skarlett, true to her promise to the passenger, drove the passenger to the only address she had for friends. It too was incorrect. Skarlett then gave the woman dinner and a place to stay. The next morning after feeding her breakfast, Skarlett bought the passenger a telephone calling card and helped her call Cuba to find the correct Miami contact. Thanks to this exceptional act of customer care, a stranded lonely passenger was united with loved ones. Thanks, Skarlett!

o much has happened that it’s hard to know where to start. For certain, one of our recent highlights was our 85th anniversary celebration. To commemorate our rich history and to celebrate National Citizenship Day, on September 17 we partnered with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in hosting a naturalization ceremony for 85 candidates to become U.S. citizens here at MIA. How better to celebrate this airport’s remarkable history than to make history right here with a first-ever airport naturalization service. We hosted the ceremony in the Concourse J greeters lobby. The citizen-candidates, guests and friends were shocked when Grammy winner Jon Secada made a surprise appearance to sing the National Anthem and likewise, platinum recording artist Lee Greenwood sang God Bless the USA. For many of the new citizens, MIA was once their first taste of freedom. What better place to become an American than MIA. I am keenly aware that it is not the bricks and mortar that hold this place together. It is you, our employees, who give this place its heart and soul. More and more, our customers appreciate what you do. I certainly do. As a small token of my appreciation, we have 85th anniversary commemorative posters for each Aviation Department employee. Division Directors will be coordinating poster distribution.

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Window Seat │ Issue No. 3 │ December 2013

CUSTOMER CORNER

OUR WORLD’S EXPANDING

”Karen Allen from the Security Division was genuinely happy to provide service to us and even followed up to let me know my colleague was on the way back with everything squared away as promised.”

Our world just got a little bit bigger. MIA’s international routes continue to expand with the addition of new service by several of our carriers. WestJet recently added new non-stop flights to Calgary. American Airlines has begun new service to Cozumel, Milan, Curitiba and Porto Alegre. In June 2014, we will add our first five-star airline with four weekly flights by Qatar Airways to Doha, Qatar. Hats off to Chris Mangos and his team for their outstanding efforts in bringing these and other new offerings to our route menu.

Natalie Lozano Miami, FL “Landside Officer Albert Colon went above and beyond his responsibilities in helping me locate my phone. My phone’s GPS showed it as being in the taxi lot that Officer Colon was running. He was an absolute professional.” Beau Williamson Columbus, OH “Winsky Fleureny from Lanside was a godsend he was between letting me borrow his phone, telling me who I should call, what I needed to look for and ask as well as even reprimanding the cab driver for not giving me a sufficient receipt.” Carli Holmes Hudson, OH “Landside Officer John Arroyo cheerfully and graciously helped us.” Dixie Johnson Grangeville, Idaho

FRIENDS Managing any large organization is all about relationships, and I’m making sure my office is always open to our friends, old and new. Of late, we’ve welcomed visits from many VIPs. I’ve met with Jon Secada, Kim and Lee Greenwood, FAA’s Southern Region Manager Winsome Lenfert, Florida Governor Rick Scott, Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, TSA Administrator John Pistole’s Chief of Staff Tom McDaniels, U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield, and Charles de Gaulle Airport Operations Manager Gael le Bris. I’ve also traveled to D.C. to meet with the TSA which just awarded MIA the secondlargest grant ever, $101M for baggage system upgrades and equipment. Here’s a bit more on that: http://www.miamiherald. com/2013/11/01/3725260/101-million-tsagrant-will-boost.html. I also just returned from Japan on a business development mission with Governor Rick Scott and have given numerous public presentations.

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The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. GonzĂĄlez, Aviation Director - Miami-Dade Aviation Department

AIRPORT 24/7: MIAMI

A number of folks have asked for an update on the Travel Channel docu-series, Airport 24/7:Miami. The show recently completed its second season and for now, there are no plans for another season. In the meantime, the show is syndicated in South Africa, the U.K. and other countries. Airport 24/7: Miami was one of those unique opportunities that presents itself when you least expect it. I want to thank our staff who worked so hard on the show and that includes those in front of and behind the scenes. Well done!

SHOUT OUT & WELCOME I want to publicly thank my Deputy Ken Pyatt. Ken has done a stellar job acting as the Operations Deputy and the Deputy of Business Development. Under the new reorganization, Ken will serve as our sole Deputy with responsibility for both the Operations and Business Development side of the house. My Executive Assistant Barbara Jimenez will be our new Assistant Director of Administration, filling that position when Bobbie Jones-Wilfork retires this summer. Hiram L. Barroso is a new face here at MDAD and will serve as my new Executive Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff.

MDAD Welcomes Hiram L. Barroso

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Window Seat │ Issue No. 3 │ December 2013

CUSTOMER CORNER

GATEWAY TO THE WORLD CUP

“Daniel Vickers from Landside ran after the van (a long way), got it to stop and then grabbed my husband’s extra heavy bags and walked us to the van. If not for Mr. Vickers, who is also good-humored and very kind, we would have waited another hour and 20 minutes for the van, and we had already been curbside for over and hour.” Elaine and John Swank Ft. Myers, FL “I must confess that I usually dread having to travel to or from MIA Up to now, it has been my least favorite airport. Terminal Operations Agent Ernie Alonso’s handling of my lost necklace has made me think again. Thank you for that.” Jane Dawkins Miami, FL “Terninal Operations employee Dayron Rodriguez’s patience, constant reassurance and his ability to get us seamlessly from A to B so calmly, made our onward flight so much more enjoyable. Thanks.” Susan Carter United Kingdom

If you love soccer as much as I do, you’re probably thrilled that the World Cup is just around the corner, June 12- July 13, 2014. MIA is really the Gateway to the World Cup because of our proximity to Brazil and because we have more flights to Brazil than any airport in the U.S. This is important not just for North Americans but for Europeans, Asians and even some Latin Americans, as well. So far, nearly 71 percent of ticket requests (over 4M) have come from Brazilians, with the U.S. a first runner up. We’re in the midst of making plans so that the MIA World Cup journey is a memorable one—even for folks not going to Brazil. Stay tuned—it’s going to be fun.

SOCIAL MEDIA: @IFLYMIA Our social media efforts are really taking off. Last month, we were among the top three in the world in the 4th Annual Excellence in Social Media competition for Best Emerging Airport/Airline by the well-known social media consulting firm SimpliFlying. MIA was in good company with social media giants Emirates and Aer Lingus. At the time of entry into the competition, we’d only been on social for four months. Congratulations to Dickie Davis, Richard Etienne and Evelio Zuriarrain for their amazing efforts on our behalf. Their job is really 24/7! If you’re like me, this “new media” is a bit unfamiliar, but it’s so true, “You can’t do today’s job with yesterday’s methods and be in business tomorrow.” Be sure to follow us on Facebook/IFlyMIA and Twitter @ IFlyMIA—it’s fun to see what folks are asking and telling us. We’re working on all fronts to stay competitive; join us.

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The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González, Aviation Director - Miami-Dade Aviation Department

MIA GREEN INITIATIVE Each year, our 39.5M passengers and 36,000 employees generate more than 6,000 tons of waste. Early next year, we’ll start a recycling program that will use that waste to reduce our environmental footprint and also generate revenue for MIA. Watch for 100 segmented receptacles in the airport lobby for glass, cans and trash and a public education program about “MIA Green.” The program will roll out initially in the public spaces and will then expand to office and concession space in the future. Special thanks to Manny Bazzani, Gustavo Leal, Carlos Jose, Pedro Hernandez and Aida Bao-Garciga for their efforts on this project. Look for more details on the program in the coming months. http://www.passengerterminaltoday.com/viewnews.php?NewsID=52722

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The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González, Aviation Director - Miami-Dade Aviation Department

GRATITUDE In each edition of Window Seat, I like to focus on one word and at this time of year, I think Gratitude really sums it up. As the year quickly draws to an end, I want to thank each and every one of you for your trust, your hard work and for your tireless efforts to make MIA the very best. I am reminded of a quote by Lee Iacocca, “In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: People, Product and Profits. Unless you’ve got a good team, You can’t do much with the other two” Clearly, our team is great. By the way, I’ve included the latest from Claymore who is always grateful for everything!

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