So Many Lives Touched by
These are but a few of the thousands
From Congressman
Gregory W. Meeks
I want to take this time to congratulate
the New York and New Jersey Port
Authority on their hundredth year.
In a century, the Port Authority has
modernized and expanded our railroad
and train system that we rely on
for our daily commutes. They’ve also
built bridges connecting us across the
New York and New Jersey metropolitan
area. It’s even hard to believe that
a hundred years ago we did not have an
international airport and now we have
two right here in Queens. In a hundred
years, the Port Authority has accomplished
more than New Yorkers could
ever dream of.
Under the leadership of Executive
Director Rick Cotton especially, the
Port Authority has not only continued
to make vast improvements to our infrastructure
but ensured that the process
is always equitable. For the JFK
Redevelopment project alone, Rick continues
to fulfill the governor’s commitment
to equally distribute 30 percent
of contracts to Minority and Women
Owned Business and Enterprises. As
co-chair of the JFK Airport Redevelopment
Advisory Committee, I’ve seen
firsthand the commitment for community
inclusion and consideration of
neighborhoods directly impacted by
these projects. This is one of the many
examples of the tremendous work Rick
and the Port Authority have been doing
and I look forward to seeing what
comes next.
Warren Kroeppel, Retired,
Deputy GM JFK Airport,
GM LaGuardia Airport
Just imagine — 100 years of continuous
progress. During my 32-year career
with the Port Authority I saw that
change and improvement were ever
evolving. I began working for the PA at
JFK International Airport and was excited
to be working within the unique
and fabled “Terminal City” that had
been developed in the 1960’s. I found
myself later working on the JFK Redevelopment
program that rebuilt the
airport in the 1990’s to accommodate
the amazing and continuous growth.
JFK is now poised for yet another major
development.
I also witnessed the second Redevelopment
of LaGuardia Airport in
the 1980’s which expanded the Central
Terminal Building and the construction
of the Delta and USAir terminals.
Our team later developed the design
and concept for the New LaGuardia
in the mid 2000’s with the concept for
a new terminal being located within
the site of the old CTB parking garage,
and then set the stage for the design
and construction of new garages
Boeing 707, mentioned by Jerry Spampanato, the first successful commercial passenger jetliner. Here, one is at the PanAm WorldPort (now
gone) and the other is in front of the JFKIAB, now T4 at JFK.
and utilities which prepared the site
for the new terminal that we see today.
Surprisingly I also witnessed the
time when we looked at “alternate
uses” for the unused Terminal C at
Newark Airport just before the explosive
growth of People’s Express Airlines
supercharged the growth of that
airport.
Yes — continuous change and improvement
2021 AIRPORT V 26 OICE WOMAN OF ACHIEVEMENT
to meet the needs of the
travelling public.
Good wishes for the continued success
of the Port Authority over the next
100 years!
DoloresHofman, Queens
ASDO manager, supporter
Extraordinaire
Let me start by saying that I would
not change one day of my 54 year Aviation
Career at JFK with anyone, for
any reason; I LOVED every day of it,
beginning with my first job with Pan
American World Airways. Refusing to
cut my hair (which I could sit on then)
to be qualified as a flight attendant,
I interviewed for any opening position
that was available to get my foot in the
door. I was hired as a secretary, hoping
to climb that corporate ladder (which
I certainly did). I had a “political” fallout
with my new manager and being a
Teamster, I looked on the bid board for
another administrative position. After
three months with none being posted,
I bid on the position of Cargo Service
Agent; this entailed working the receiving
dock, driving a forklift and
unloading trucks. I thought anything
would be better than the abuse I was
putting up with after my favorite manager
left and was replaced by someone
who did not like him. There were five
positions open and even though I was
the senior qualified bidder, four of the
five positions were awarded to junior
men, as there never had been a female
in that position. After being called in
to every one of the Cargo Managers’
offices, trying to discourage me, I replied
“you have to give me a chance!”
So, they decided to send me for a physical
by one of the Pan Am doctors. After
two hours of being examined (being
very healthy, young and strong), the
only thing that the doctor could come
up with was that “my physical stature
was too slight!” My reply to that was to
take a look at the 100+ men holding the
same position, I was sure they would
find a few that were slighter than my
5’4” height and 116 pound weight!! They
had no choice but to finally award me
the job.
Since then, many other women
have broken “glass ceilings” in other
areas. The Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey have been very fair to
women in recognizing their skills and
capabilities. The two best examples of
that were Susan Baer, may she Rest
in Peace, working her way up the Port
Authority’s corporate ladder and Lysa
Scully, who followed in her footsteps.
Both of these exemplary women, I am
proud to say, also became my friends.
Jerry Spampanato, former
General Manager JFK
Airport
I began my aviation career in the
late 50’s and was hired by Pan Am in
Building 14. It is Ironic that I started
and ended my career in the same building
as GM as JFK after 20 years at the
airport in 2014 as General Manager.
Formerly known as Idlewild until the
1963, when the name was changed
changed to JFK International Airport
after JFK’sassassination.
When I was GM, it was easier to get
things done. The Port did just did it.
I have great memories and stories from
my years at JK.We did the Bermuda dog
show and somehow dogs got loose at the
airport. A helicopter was used to find
them and round them up.
At the onset the airport was a collection
of airlines located in a Temporary
Terminal Building or Quonsethut
and a separate area for the IAB.Each
airline had there own counter with an
operations and ramp area directly behind
it.There was an observation deck
above the check in counters with telescopes
where you could get a close up
of the ramps for a nickel. At the time,
there was one road around the airport.
It could take over an hour with traffic.
I recall the excitement when the Boeing
707’s were introduced.Pan Am was
the first to obtain the 707 and lend leased
some aircraft to NAL’s. Ironically one
day all the Londonbaggage was loaded
on the NAL aircraft and Miami baggage
on the same headed to LHR.Planes were