Connecting Minnesota to the World Commission Chair Daniel Boivin Chair, F&A Outstate Duluth Donald Monaco Outstate Thief River Falls Dixie Hoard District H Ibrahim Mohamed Commission Vice Chair Outstate St. Cloud Patti Gartland Outstate Rochester Randy Schubring District F Michael Madigan District A Carl Crimmins Chair, PD&E District D Steve Cramer Chair, M&O District B Rick King City of St. Paul Vacant District E James Deal District C Katie Clark Sieben District G Richard Ginsberg City of Minneapolis Leili Fatehi 45 44 The Minnesota Legislature created the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) in 1943 to promote the efficient, safe, economical handling of air commerce and to develop the full potentialities of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area as an aviation center. A public corporation of the state, the MAC generates the revenues it needs to operate through rents and user fees, not general tax appropriations. Bonding and financing authority – along with MAC-generated cash and state and federal aviation grants and fees – fund capital investments in the MAC’s seven-airport system. The MAC maintains a AA- senior bond rating – among the highest of any U.S. airport operator. The organization is governed by a 15-member policy board. The board chairman and 12 commissioners are appointed by Minnesota’s governor, and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul each appoint a commissioner. The chairman and mayoral appointees serve at the will of the elected officials who appoint them. All other commissioners serve four year, staggered terms, providing continuity when administrations change. Eight commissioners are appointed by the governor to metropolitan districts, and four represent greater Minnesota. Topics typically are first discussed at monthly public meetings of the board’s three committees: • Finance and Administration (F&A) • Management and Operations (M&O) • Planning, Development and Environment (P,D&E) Those committees discuss published agenda items and make recommendations for consideration by the full board. Members of the public can come to the meetings in person or watch them streamed live or via video-on-demand on the MAC website. Each meeting offers opportunities for public comment, both on agenda items and on other MAC-related topics. The MAC operates much like a city, with its own police, fire, emergency dispatch and maintenance departments. The MAC board acts like a city council, establishing policies, ordinances and budgets. Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Brian Ryks functions much like a city manager, overseeing day-to-day operations and administration of the organization. With only 600 employees, the MAC is among the most efficient airport operators in the nation, keeping the cost to airlines low and encouraging growth in air service and airline competition.