AMAC Legends & Leapers: April 2025
AMAC Legends & Leapers is a virtual conversation series featuring an aviation industry legend and leaper.
Legend
Jorge Roberts is the CEO of Avports, a 98-year-old company formerly known as Pan Am World Services and widely regarded as one of America’s leading airport operators and managers, currently operating at 15 airports across the US and the Caribbean. Avports is owned by West Street Infrastructure Partners III, a fund managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. With over 17 years of experience in airport management and public-private partnerships (P3s), Jorge has held executive positions with prominent airport operators and investors, including The Carlyle Group’s Carlyle Airport Group, Grupo CCR, Airports Worldwide/TBI, OMERS, and Houston Airports (HAS).
Jorge has led transformative P3 projects across the United States, including the $100+ million, 40-year P3 for Manassas Airport in the Washington, D.C., metro area and the $180+ million, 43-year P3 for Tweed New Haven Airport. He also co-originated the $9.5 billion P3 for the New Terminal One at JFK Airport. Internationally, he has managed airport P3s in Costa Rica, the UK, and Sweden, while contributing to bids for projects spanning Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
An engaged leader in both industry and community initiatives, Jorge has served as a Board Member (Advisor) for the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of Airports Council International (ACI-LAC). He currently serves on the President’s Advisory Board for Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, the National Leadership Development Committee of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and the Board of the University of Washington’s Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program. Additionally, he has contributed to committees for the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) and volunteered with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT).
Jorge holds an International Airport Professional (I.A.P.) accreditation from ACI and ICAO. He graduated with honors from the University of Washington in Seattle, earning degrees in Economics and Business, and later obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Leaper
Mabell Garcia Paine, Founder of Viridis Consulting, brings two decades of extensive strategy and implementation experience in the energy industry. Recognized as an innovative leader, Mabell has a proven track record of transforming intricate business and policy initiatives into customer-centric strategies. Her expertise in strategic marketing facilitates the creation of solutions that drive both growth and innovation.
Mabell excels in data collection and analysis, ensuring data reliability while enhancing customer experiences. She is solution-oriented and highly collaborative, demonstrating proficiency in working across various business units, technology providers, implementers, and community organizations to achieve ambitious carbon reduction and community equity goals.
Ms. Paine received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from California State University, Northridge and a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Southern California. She is a chapter president of WRISE, Women in Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy and a Commissioner for the City of Pasadena.
Moderators
Lauryn Mangum Reed is the Executive Vice President for TMG Hospitality USA, the Phoenix-based parent company, comprised of LAM Holdings, TMG Services, PMCS, and TMG Development; Award-winning Food and Beverage and Retail operations within airports, real estate and land development Lauryn is also the owner of Lauryn Ashley Management and Consulting, a boutique company that lends its expertise to individuals and small businesses for development, consulting, RFP creation and proposal assistance.
Over the last decade, Lauryn’s aviation industry experience has spanned from ACDBE (small business) start-up and operations to business development, strategic planning, innovation, and technology for multi-million- and billion-dollar international organizations. She is the Airport Minority Advisory Board (AMAC) Trade Board Secretary, AMAC’s Emerging Leaders Committee Chair, and Airport Council International North America (ACI-NA) Business Diversity Steering Committee member. She volunteers with the Salvation Army Metro Phoenix on its board initiatives.
Raised in Detroit, Michigan, Lauryn left for warmer winters. She earned her BS in Business with a Minor in Communications from Arizona State University, where she became a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. member. As a wife and mom of 2 littles, daughter Londyn and son Legend, Lauryn has an affinity for people, representation, and diversity in her day-to-day life. She strongly advocates for work/life synergy and empowers women to do everything they desire.
Ricky Dorell Smith
As the Airport general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—the world’s busiest and most efficient airport—Ricky Smith leads one of the most critical aviation and economic hubs globally. He is responsible for the overall governance, strategic direction, and operational oversight of an airport that serves more than 108 million passengers annually, facilitates over 2,700 daily aircraft operations, and generates more than $750 million in annual operating revenue, reinforcing ATL’s status as an economic powerhouse.
Mr. Ricky Smith most recently served as Executive Director and CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA), where he was responsible for the management and operations of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Martin State Airport, and regional aviation activities throughout the State of Maryland.
Smith has over 30 years of aviation management experience, working in Baltimore and Cleveland. Since returning to BWI Marshall in 2015, Smith led the airport to five consecutive record-setting years for passengers, including restoring BWI Marshall as the busiest airport in the Washington/Baltimore region and the Best Airport in North America for Customer Service according to Airport Council International.
He established a culture of performance, customer service, safety, and innovation, leading the airports to receive several other national and regional awards for customer service, capital development, and marketing, including Emmy Awards in 2018 and 2019. In 2017, the LaunchPad program was launched to provide minority-owned micro-businesses with the opportunity to participate in BWI Marshall’s thriving food and retail program without barriers to entry. In 2015, he launched the BWI Marshall Youth Initiative, aimed at introducing Baltimore City youth to careers in aviation and transportation. To date, over 100 youths have participated in this program.
He has been recognized as the ‘Best State Executive for Minority Business Enterprise’ by the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association (2022), ‘Leon C. Watkins Guardian Award’ recipient by Airports Council International/North America (2020), ‘Man of the Year’ by Women Transportation Seminar (2019), ‘Leadership in Excellence’ by Leadership Anne Arundel (2019), ‘Power 10 CEO’ by the Baltimore Business Journal (2018), ‘People Who Move America’ by the Boys Scouts of America (2018), ‘Thomas G. Newsome Founder’s Leadership Award’ by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (2018), ‘Influential Marylander’ by The Daily Record (2017), the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association ‘Black History Hero’ award (2017), ‘Most Influential CEO in Northeast Ohio’ by Crain’s Magazine (2014, 2013), ‘National Executive of the Year’ by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (2010), and ‘Congressional Achievement Award’ from Congressman Elijah Cummings (2006).
