RTA – RDU AID task force

Background.  Identifying sustainable funding for essential growth at RDU Airport is the top transportation priority of the regional business community. RTA released an updated task force report in July 2021 that examined capital funding challenges at RDU, including the need for the replacement and relocation of the primary runway.

At our 2021 Transportation Breakfast on July 9, 2021, RTA released an updated report from the RTA RDU AID task force that provided recommendations to address a $2 billion capital shortfall at RDU International, with the most urgent infrastructure need being replacement of our primary runway.

RTA formed the RDU Airport Infrastructure Development (“AID”) task force in response to a request by RDU Airport in summer 2019. RTA RDU AID task force members are a diverse group of business leaders from RTA member firms who are dedicated to the success of our hometown international airport and our growing region.

The task force began its work during fall 2019 by reviewing relevant information about RDU’s infrastructure and operating needs, and presented its preliminary findings and recommendations for potential sources of revenue and funding at the 2020 RTA annual meeting on Jan. 17, 2020.

The regional business community reactivated our RTA RDU AID task force in early 2021 to identify a stable financial footing for the airport, in what is now a volatile, changed, and lowered air travel environment as a result of the pandemic. The task force presented its updated findings at the 2021 RTA Transportation Breakfast on July 9.

• Joe Anglim, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, Red Hat, Inc.
• Jim Beley, General Manager, The Umstead Hotel and Spa
• Sarah Gaskill, Head of Sustainability & Environmental, Social, and Governance, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
• Linda Hall, Executive VP and CFO, The Research Triangle Foundation of NC
• Rob Herman, GM/Executive Director, Workstation Business Unit, Lenovo
• Harold Hicks, Senior Director, Real Estate, Fidelity Investments
• Monty Irvin, President and CEO, Ramey Kemp and Associates, Inc.
• Gray Styers, Attorney, Co-chair of Infrastructure Practice, Fox Rothschild LLP
• Kristen Hess, President and CEO, HH Architecture
• Brett Le Cheminant, Global Head of Cleared Derivatives, Credit Suisse
• John McGeary, Middle Market Commercial Mgr., SVP, First National Bank
• Lee Anne Nance, Chief Operations Officer, Executive Vice President, Stewart
• Mike Schoenfeld, VP Public Affairs and Government Relations, Duke University
  (RTA 2021 chair; ex officio to task force)