Northwestern Aviation Club cordially invites you to our fall quarter speaker event with Commissioner Jamie Rhee of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA).
As commissioner, she oversees one of the world’s largest airport systems, which includes O’Hare and Midway International Airports and handles more than 100 million passengers annually, propelling Chicago as a global leader in air freight operations. Chicago’s airports are also among the most well-connected in the world, serving more than 260 destinations in 46 countries via 50 different commercial airlines.
Rhee has a long track record of solving complicated issues in both aviation and local government. Rhee began her career with the City of Chicago, where she has held numerous positions for nearly 24 years, most recently as Chief Procurement Officer. Rhee oversaw the procurement of $2 billion in goods and services for dozens of City of Chicago user departments, including the CDA, as well as the certification of thousands of minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses, including the Airport Concessionaire Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) program. Chicago’s procurement reform efforts have earned national and international prominence under Rhee’s leadership, and she has received a dozen industry honors for her contributions to public service.
Rhee has worked for the CDA in a variety of capacities. She was the General Counsel for the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP) from 2004 to 2008, where she oversaw the successful completion of the FAA’s Environmental Impact Statement process and managed the legal process and procurement. She has also served as a Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor and in other roles at the Departments of Law and Planning and Development in past administrations.