Full Name
John E. (Jack) Potter
Job Title
President and Chief Executive Officer
Company
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Speaker Bio
John E. “Jack” Potter is the President and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The Airports Authority is responsible for operating and managing the two-airport system serving the nation’s capital, consisting of Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports. In addition, the Airports Authority operates the Dulles Toll Road in Northern Virginia and managed construction of the Silver Line extension of the Washington area’s Metrorail mass transit system, which was transferred in November 2022 to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which will operate the rail line.
Since assuming his position in July 2011, Potter has focused on strengthening the organization’s governance, embracing new customer-focused processes and technologies and enhancing the efficiency of business and technical operations. His efforts have resulted in a realignment of key policies and processes, significant financial savings, and a strong trajectory for future business growth.
Prior to joining the Airports Authority, Potter served for ten years as the Postmaster General of the United States, where he worked to modernize the U.S. Postal Service and the management of more than 700,000 employees. He focused on improving postal operations by emphasizing on-time service, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and safety.
He joined the Postal Service in 1977, starting as a distribution clerk and moving into operations management. He also served as the manager of Washington–Baltimore–Northern Virginia field operations; senior vice president of Labor Relations; senior vice president of Operations Support; and executive vice president and chief operating officer.
A native of New York City, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Fordham University and a master’s degree as a Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He serves on the board of directors of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. Potter is also a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration, and a member of the International Gateway Council, the DMV Regional Congress, and the Economic Club of Washington, DC.
Since assuming his position in July 2011, Potter has focused on strengthening the organization’s governance, embracing new customer-focused processes and technologies and enhancing the efficiency of business and technical operations. His efforts have resulted in a realignment of key policies and processes, significant financial savings, and a strong trajectory for future business growth.
Prior to joining the Airports Authority, Potter served for ten years as the Postmaster General of the United States, where he worked to modernize the U.S. Postal Service and the management of more than 700,000 employees. He focused on improving postal operations by emphasizing on-time service, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and safety.
He joined the Postal Service in 1977, starting as a distribution clerk and moving into operations management. He also served as the manager of Washington–Baltimore–Northern Virginia field operations; senior vice president of Labor Relations; senior vice president of Operations Support; and executive vice president and chief operating officer.
A native of New York City, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Fordham University and a master’s degree as a Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He serves on the board of directors of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. Potter is also a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration, and a member of the International Gateway Council, the DMV Regional Congress, and the Economic Club of Washington, DC.
