John Connell Pe, Aae

John Connell, PE, AAE has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning over many years. John began their career as a Civil Engineer Officer in the United States Air Force from 1995 to 1998. Following that, they worked as a Project Manager at the Medical University of South Carolina from 1998 to 1999. John then joined the South Carolina State Ports Authority as an Engineering Project Manager from 1999 to 2004.

In 2004, John started their own company, The Connell Company, LLC, where they served as the Owner until 2008. During this time, they also worked as a Senior Consultant at SourceCorp Professional Services, specializing in Cost Segregation & Green Building 179D, from 2008 to 2010.

From 2010 to 2015, John worked at the Charleston County Aviation Authority and Charleston International Airport. John held the positions of Director of Engineering and Facilities from 2010 to 2013, and Vice President of Engineering from 2013 to 2015.

In 2015, John briefly worked as an Independent Consultant at SourceHOV | Tax. John later joined the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in 2016 as the Vice President of Operational Asset Management until 2022. John then became the Senior Vice President of Operations and Asset Management from 2022 to 2023. Currently, they hold the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at RDU.

John Connell, PE, AAE has a strong educational background in both business administration and civil engineering. John earned their Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University in the period of 1990 to 1994. Following this, they pursued a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Civil Engineering at Clemson University from 1994 to 1995. Later, they furthered their education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business between 1999 and 2002.

In addition to their educational qualifications, John Connell has also acquired several certifications. John is an Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) obtained from AAAE in May 2020. John also holds the designation of Certified Member (CM) obtained from AAAE in July 2018. Furthermore, they possess the Airport Certified Employee (ACE) - Airfield Lighting Maintenance certification obtained from the American Association of Airport Executives in November 2017.