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ACI-NA Finance Partner of the Year Award

ACI-NA is pleased to announce its new Airport Finance Partner of the Year Award for 2026.  This is an opportunity to recognize finance professionals that work for an associate member or a World Business Partner organization of ACI-NA.  Nominations can be for any finance professional who demonstrates outstanding proficiency and knowledge in financial management, planning, analysis, or advisory services within the airport or aviation sector, and/or contributes high-quality financial insights that support sound decision-making for airport clients or partners.

Any ACI-NA associate member or a World Business Partner member is encouraged to complete the online Finance Professional Award Nomination Form no later than Friday, March 20, 2026.  Please note that each individual member can nominate a maximum of one nominee. To access the nomination form, you may use your ACI-NA member login. In addition, information regarding the eligibility and judging criteria may also be obtained from ACI-NA Finance Partner of the Year Award website. Note: The same login is used to access member-only content on airportscouncil.org and to register for ACI-NA conferences and webinars. If you do not currently have an ACI-NA member login, you may create a new account. If you need assistance logging in, please contact memberservices@airportscouncil.org. 

IMPORTANT DATES

March 20, 2026 – Deadline for Nomination
May 1, 2026  – Deadline for Nominees to submit required documents
May 5 - May 15, 2026 – Judging
June 24, 2026 – Awards Announcement

The awards will be announced during the awards gala dinner on June 24, 2026 at the 2026 ACI-NA Business of Airports Conference in Salt Lake City, UT. We hope you will join us in saluting the many airports and organizations that have taken the initiative to grow and enhance our industry.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Nominees for the Airport Finance Partner of the Year Award must hold a current leadership position at an associate member or a World Business Partner organization of ACI-NA.
  • All nominations must be validated and endorsed by the nominee organization’s Chief Executive Officer (or a person holding an equivalent position).
  • ​​​​​​Nominees must have a tenure of at least 5 years in the aviation industry, and have established longstanding relationships with airport partners and/or other aviation professionals.

AWARD CRITERIA

A panel of independent judges, selected by ACI-NA, will determine the award recipients based on outstanding performance for their respective organization. Scoring sheets that assign weights to each criterion will be provided to the judges who will independently assess and score each nominee. The criteria will include:

  • Excellence in Financial Expertise: Demonstrates outstanding proficiency and knowledge in financial management, planning, analysis, or advisory services within the airport or aviation sector and contributes high-quality financial insights that support sound decision-making for airport clients or partners.
  • Strategic Impact: Plays a key role in delivering financial strategies or solutions that lead to measurable improvements in airport financial health, capital program delivery, operational efficiency, and risk management to support innovation in airport finance through creative structuring, modeling, or technology adoption.
  • Collaboration and Partnership: Exemplifies strong, collaborative partnerships with airport stakeholders. Builds trust and delivers value as a business partner. Supports long-term success of clients through responsive, ethical, and solution-oriented service.
  • Industry Leadership & Advocacy: Shares financial knowledge through industry events, white papers, panels, or mentorship. Actively contributes to advancing finance-related practices across the aviation or airport industry. May serve on committees, working groups, or professional associations within the field.
  • Commitment to Professional Excellence and Ethics: Demonstrates a strong commitment to professional ethics, accountability, and transparency in all financial dealings. Upholds the values and mission of the awarding organization. Serves as a role model for peers and emerging finance professionals.
  • Judges Discretion: An opportunity for judges to award points to any nominees that they believe deserve recognition for going "above and beyond."

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CONFIDENTIALITY

The information submitted as part of the award process will be kept confidential. Nominee information will only be used for determination of the award. If a nominee is selected for an award, we may request permission to release certain information provided when making the award announcement.

By submitting a nomination, you are consenting to have the nominee considered for the ACI-NA Airport Finance Partner of the Year Award.

For further information, please contact lgu@airportscouncil.org or call 202-861-8084.