AMAC Legends & Leapers: January 2026

AMAC Legends & Leapers is a virtual conversation series featuring an aviation industry legend and leaper.

Legend

Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E., was appointed as the Executive Director and CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration on April 4, 2025. She is responsible for overseeing the management, planning, and operations of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Martin State Airport, and the state’s regional aviation assistance program. Shannetta has more than 40 years of experience as a professional engineer within the transportation industry with an emphasis on aviation and aerospace. 

Prior to joining the Maryland Aviation Administration, Shannetta served as Associate Administrator of Airports for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2021 to 2025. In that capacity, she led a team of more than 700 employees nationwide and administered national airport safety and standards, planning, engineering, federal compliance and financial assistance programs to provide complex solutions for more than 3,300 public-use airports across the country.   

Before joining the FAA, Shannetta served in executive leadership roles for the Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) and the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA). At IAA she was responsible for the management, engineering, planning, construction, environmental and supplier diversity program for multimillion capital and operating budgets for the Indianapolis International Airport and five reliever airports.  

 As the Chief Commercial Officer at CRAA, Shannetta maximized revenue in real estate and land development, air service and cargo development, concession management and parking/ground transportation, increasing concession revenue growth and achieving record breaking passenger growth. Subsequently as the Chief Development Officer, she led the planning and execution of the Authority’s largest capital development program, a $2 billion project consisting of a new passenger terminal, consolidated rental car facility and hotel. 

Shannetta has received numerous awards and professional accolades by transportation and civic organizations including the Woman in Aviation Excellence – Legacy Award by the Airport Minority Advisory Council, Women Who Move the Nation Award by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Toledo College of Civil Engineering, Corporate Professional of the Year Award by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, Achievement in Business and Industry Award by the Indianapolis Center for Leadership Development and Strathmore Who’s Who. 

Ms. Griffin received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toledo. She is the proud mother of two children and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.  

Leaper

Deven Judd joined the GSP Airport District in October 2022.  Deven is responsible for developing and executing the District’s revenue generation strategies, as well as overseeing the commercial business, parking, concessions, cargo, general aviation, land development, and fueling programs at GSP. In his time at the District, Deven and his team have completed negotiations for a new TNC Agreement which has more than doubled revenue, successfully negotiated a “triple net” lease with FedEx generating more than $330K more in revenue in the first year of the contract and saving the District more than $60,000 annually, and negotiated a new rental car contract with a $9.00 CFC resulting in a new consolidated rental car facility which opened December 2025.

Deven has over 25 years of experience in airport management and has previously led Properties and Concessions programs for Jacksonville International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.  Deven also worked as a Consultant at Jacobsen|Daniels working on master plans and strategic business plans for a handful of U.S. airports.

Deven served as a board member of the Airport Minority Advisory Council representing the Eastern Region from 2018-2020. He was a member of the Commercial Management Committee of Airports Council International-North America, serving as its Chair in 2023. He holds several industry accreditations from the American Association of Airport Executives (A.A.E.), Airports Council International (IAP) and the Project Management Institute (PMP). 

Deven is a graduate of Hampton University (B.S. Aviation Management), University of North Florida (MBA), and Concordia University, John Molson School of Business (Airport Executive Leadership Degree).

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 member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. As a wife and mom of two little ones, 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 pursue their full potential.

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).