Statement of Commissioner Teresa A.

Rizzuto The Supervisor certainly has the right to select people with whom he chooses to work and I respect that. It has been an honor to serve as Commissioner for nearly five years where I have been associated with some of the hardest working people in the aviation business. The airline industry is in the throes of enormous turmoil, from bankruptcies to consolidation from fuel spikes to reduced passenger loads. Through it all, the people at Long Island MacArthur have given their all, ensuring that the flying public is always greeted by consummate professionals in a safe environment with state-of-the-art amenities. I look back with pride at important personal milestones. After nearly four years and especially during the past ten months of lobbying, conferences, presentations and meetings I am confident that we have paved the way for the Croci administration to follow so that at least one new airline may be introduced to MacArthur in the near future. And we have enjoyed strategic support for the arrival of direct, non- stop US Airways service to Washington D.C. Senator Schumer and Congressman Israel should take the honors there because their advocacy has been nothing less than critical. On a far more tactical level, during snow storms we were open when others closed. We made security screening efficient and as painless as possible. We created the foundation for significant aviation related investment in and around the airport. We set the stage for a genuine intermodal connection between rail and air at neighboring R transportation system. During my tenure I have been offered a number of awards and citations for professional leadership but it has always been clear to me that these presentations were, in reality, tributes to the people with whom I have had the opportunity to work. The men and women at Long Island MacArthur have set new standards of excellence for airport operations. I had the good fortune to lead that team during a period of change and challenge. At the end of the day the continued success of Long Island MacArthur will be sustained by these same people.

6/14/2012 8:26 PM