JOE LOPANO

CEO, TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AVIATION AUTHORITY, TAMPA

Lopano retires in April, concluding 14 years in his “dream job” running what is consistently ranked as one of the country’s top airports for customer satisfaction. Under Lopano, TPA expanded its routes to Europe and Central America and launched a multibillion-dollar expansion that includes a new rental car center connected by a SkyConnect train system. A fifth terminal, Airside D, should open in 2028. Lopano also chairs the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council and serves on the Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization. He is just the third CEO for the Aviation Authority in a 70-year history. “Everything we do involves us as a team,” he says, “and it has been a privilege to be a part of that.”