ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — An airport operations director from Charlotte has been tapped to become the new Chief Operations Officer at Asheville Regional Airport.
Alexandra “Lexie” Farmer, who has more than 20 years experience in airport leadership roles, will take the new role in Asheville in May, the airport announced on Friday to end a nationwide search. She’s set to arrive prior to the June retirement of current COO Michael Reisman.
Farmer currently is Airport Operations Director for Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where she leads a division of 10 teams and 300 employees, and oversees an operational budget of more than $70 million per year, according to a release.
She has a bachelor’s degree in aviation management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a master’s degree in public administration fro Georgia State University. Before her work at the Charlotte airport, she held various roles at airports in Milwaukee and Madison, Wis., and at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
In a release, Lew Bleiweis, President and CEO of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority, stated: “Her passion for the airport industry, as well as her extensive experience leading complex operational initiatives at larger airports, will be a welcome addition to the senior management team at AVL.”
Asheville Regional Airport currently is in the middle of a massive expansion plan, including the construction of a new north terminal. The facility’s passenger usage numbers have been soaring in recent years.