Janelle Irwin Taylor
Newly appointed Tampa International Airport CEO Michael Stephens will speak at the Tampa Tiger Bay Club luncheon Friday, alongside the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority and Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen.
The conversation will serve as an opportunity for engaged citizens to hear Stephens’ vision for the airport as he charts a path forward following the departure of longtime CEO Joe Lopano, who retires this month at the end of his contract.
Doors to the luncheon, held at the Cuban Club in Ybor City, will open at 11:15, with lunch served at 11:40 and the program beginning at noon. Tickets are available online.
Stephens previously served as the airport’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel. He is the airport’s fourth CEO and its first Black leader.
The Aviation Authority Board of Directors voted 4-1 in November to elevate Stephens to CEO, passing over three other internal candidates who had also been considered for the job including Executive Vice President John Tiliacos, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications Chris Minner, and Executive Vice President of Finance, Procurement and Capital Programs Damian Brooke. Tiliacos was the other finalist for the position.
Stephens is overseeing more than 670 employees at the Airport, as well as the Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive and Plant City airports. He will guide Tampa International Airport’s future growth, new technology and other advancements in the industry, as well as financial and environmental sustainability practices.
In his previous role, Stephens provided legal advice to Lopano and board members. He is also the executive vice president for Information Technology Services, Human Resources, Government and Community Relations, Risk Management and Business Diversity. He has nearly 25 years of experience managing legal, compliance, human resources, labor and employment issues. He’s also a veteran, having served as a Captain and Trial Counsel in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.
The talk at Tiger Bay comes as the airport furthers plans for its $1.5 billion Airside D project, which upon completion will be a state-of-the-art 16-gate terminal for international and domestic routes. The design is expected to be complete by the end of this year, with opening slated for sometime in 2028.
Tampa International Airport generates $11.3 billion in economic activity annually, and supports more than 82,000 jobs across the area, including about 10,500 workers employed directly by the airport, its tenants and partners, according to the airport.
The Aviation Authority is an independent special district within the state of Florida established in 1945 by the Legislature to supervise and manage all publicly owned airports in the county.
Cohen, a Democrat elected to the County Commission in 2020, is one of five members of the Aviation Authority Board of Directors.
