november-december 2021 - 44

Age: 37
Hometown: Kokomo,
Mississippi
Alma Mater: Southern Miss
(BSBA), William Carey (MBA)
Fun fact about yourself: I
love cows.
Someone I look up to in
the industry: It may sound
cliché to say " my boss, " but
it's true. Kevin Dolliole has
had such a well-rounded
career touching all aspects
of the aviation industry.
Kristina M. Bennett-Holmes, CM
Kristina Bennett-Holmes always wanted to be a pilot when she
was growing up. While attending the University of Southern
Mississippi, a professor learned of her dream when Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport (GPT) was looking for an intern, which
opened a door into the industry.
" No day is the same working at an airport, " Bennett-Holmes
said. " I get to meet all walks of life every day when interacting
with our passengers as well as with people on the business
side. It's always interesting. "
Bennett-Holmes is the deputy director of aviation - commercial
development for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport (MSY). She has been at MSY since 2014,
working in air service development, commercial development
and property management.
Bennett-Holmes successfully recruited more than 50 new
flights and nine new airlines, including nonstop service to
London with British Airways and Frankfurt, Germany with
Condor Airlines.
" There was a tremendous amount of teamwork that went into
the recruitment and launch of British Airways and Condor
at MSY, " she said. " They started service from the former
terminal, and we worked tirelessly to accommodate all of
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Her efforts contributed to MSY achieving record-breaking
passenger totals from 2015 through 2019 while also helping
the airport through opening its new terminal and getting the
opportunity to lead redevelopment efforts into the future.
" I come from a small town in Mississippi, so I grew up coming
to New Orleans, " Bennett-Holmes said. " This airport serves
not just the city of New Orleans, but the greater region, so
it's that much more gratifying to work in an airport that also
serves your hometown. "
Bennett-Holmes recently recruited Breeze Airways to MSY.
It not only selected the airport as part of its initial slate of
destinations, but also as one of four main operations bases
for the airline.
Breeze launched service to 10 destination and will make a
capital investment of $6.6 million at MSY, creating 261 new
direct jobs. Bennett-Holmes began discussions with Breeze
in May 2019.
the international widebody components. I was able to go on
the inaugural flight of British Airways. One of the proudest
moments of my career was flying out on the Dreamliner after
so much work went into that entire effort. "
Age: 38
Hometown: Southport,
North Carolina
Alma Mater: Meredith
College, Raleigh, North
Carolina
Fun fact about yourself:
I grew up on the coast and
was fortunate enough to
have the unique experience
of taking a ferry to school
each morning.
Someone I look up to in the
industry: Samantha King.
She hired me in 2010, so she
is my former boss and current
mentor.
Ashley M. Bruton, MSHR, SHRM-CP, PHR
Ashley M. Bruton, MSHR, SHRM-CP, PHR, loves aviation for
some of the same reasons that she loves HR: " The landscape
is ever-changing, so each day is unique and challenging, and
they both contribute to improving the lives of the people they
serve - employees and the community. "
Bruton is the director of human resources for the Greenville-Spartanburg
Airport District. An accomplished human
resources professional with a master's in human resources
management, Bruton has worked at the airport for more than
three years.
" One of the things I love about HR is that it is constantly
changing, " she said. " From compliance with new laws and
legislation, to technology, to employee expectations and understanding
the various generations currently in and entering
our workforce, to even navigating through a pandemic, there
is never a dull moment. "
As the HR director, she leads a department that is responsible
for maintaining the personnel needs, benefits administration,
regulatory compliance, recruiting efforts, compensation and
performance evaluation process, and all stages of the employee
lifecycle for an airport that is experiencing significant
growth across all departments. She has fostered a positive,
relationship-driven, and customer service-oriented culture.
Bruton spearheaded the implementation of the airport's first
integrated human resource management system. She moved
hundreds of employee files from a paper-based system to
electronic files. Part of the new HRM system required time
clocks to be set up around GSP for hourly employees. This
implementation was met with resistance initially but is now
widely accepted as an efficient and user-friendly resource
for employees thanks to Bruton's ability to communicate the
importance of moving to electronic timekeeping. She also
implemented an employee engagement survey program that
has opened dialogue and strengthened the relationships
between staff and senior leadership.
Finally, Bruton re-wrote GSP's Human Resources Handbook,
ensuring that GSP is in compliance with current human resource
regulatory requirements. She completed all of these projects,
including her day-to-day responsibilities, in approximately 18
months with only one other employee in her department while
supporting an organization of over 200.
In addition to her professionalism on the job, Bruton is an active
participant in two local human resource associations, and
she is a member of the ACI-NA Human Resources Committee
Steering Group that directs committee activities for the North
American airport industry.
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