AMAC Legends & Leapers: March 2023

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

Legend

Pady Regnier
Founder, Airport Retail Group LLC

Pady Regnier is the Founder and CEO of the award-winning Airport Retail Group. For over 25 years, ARG has successfully operated and partnered with proprietary, local, and global brands for airport concession retail and food and beverage stores. Her passion is to develop local brands while delivering excellent customer experience for every passenger.

Pady was named “Women’s Business Leader of the Year” by the Minneapolis Business Journal. The National Association of Business Owners gave Pady their “Innovator Award.” She was Chair of The Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau and St. Therese Catholic Parish, a Board Member of Rotary International and Girl Scout’s Entrepreneur Camp.

ARG has won three top Airport Experience awards in the last five years for “Best Retail Local Concept in North America.” ARG was named USA Today’s Reader Choice for “Favorite Airport Shop” and USA Today’s “Top 10 Best Store of the Year.” USA Today, Minneapolis Star and Tribune, CNN and local television stations have profiled Pady and her team for her innovative store concepts. Pady is a founding member of the Board of the MSP Nice Award Program. She has appeared as a speaker and moderator for AMAC, AXN and ACI industry associations on various concession and customer service topics.

ARG’s Prince @ MSP store has recently garnered millions of social media views by providing a unique, respectful, and authentic store honoring Prince. One customer video resulted in over 3.5 million views on YouTube. ARG is known for its innovative ways of rewarding and retaining employees. The ARG Team has won numerous customer service awards, including the 5-Star Customer Service Award, multiple Bloomington Diamond Customer Service Awards, and MSP Nice Awards.

ARG is also proud to have won the Sustainability Partner Award at MSP. ARG uses and innovates sustainable practices and programs. The company collaborates with local communities to rescue food from its stores for use in local communities in need. ARG partners with Loaves

Leaper

Kerry Adams
Director, Culture and Community, Departure Media Airport Advertising

Ms. Adams holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas Woman’s University and has over 12 years of experience providing direct support to C-level executives. She advocates for unmatched customer service that must begin with the foundation of an unmatched company culture.

Kerry has earned a reputation as a company “go-to” that either has the answer or won’t rest until she finds it. She is closely involved in most aspects of the business, from leading the internship program to business development and relationship management.

As Director of Culture and Community, since helping the organization develop its core values, Kerry serves to ensure those values are honored and reflected in all decisions and facets of the business. Her focus is on building strong external relationships as well as building a strong team that is diverse and equitable, where all members feel a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Moderators

Lauryn Mangum Reed
Secretary, AMAC Board of Directors
Chair, AMAC Emerging Leaders Committee
Executive Vice President, TMG Hospitality USA

Lauryn Mangum Reed’s industry experience started in 2012 when her family opened a café in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (The Refuge Coffee Food and Wine) as a subtenant of HMSHost. She played an integral role in the framework, opening, operations and staff training and became the Director of Sales and Marketing.

In 2017, Mangum Reed joined Stellar Partners as Business Development Coordinator and was later named Director of Innovation and Business Development. Lauryn supported the department in many facets, from coordinating RFPs to working closely with ACDBE partners, with a strong emphasis on innovation, technology and strategy.

Lauryn recently transitioned from retail concessions to the Vice President of Business Development for the global, omnichannel enterprise, self-service hospitality Servy (Grab) platform. Through the suite of contactless order and pay solutions, Servy enables partners to drive operational efficiencies and enhance the guest experience while improving profitability. Lauryn is responsible for business development and strategic partnership activities for the Servy (Grab) Airport Marketplace with airport authorities, developers and restaurant and retail partners throughout the Americas.

Although considered an emerging leader, Lauryn’s industry involvement is vast. Mangum Reed serves as the Co-Chair for AMAC’s Emerging Leaders Committee, Secretary of the AMAC Board of Directors and Member of the ACI-NA Business Diversity Steering Committee.

Lauryn has an affinity for people, representation and diversity in her day-to-day life, the aviation industry is no exception. Lauryn graduated from Arizona State University and became a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. As a new mom and wife, Lauryn strongly advocates for work/life balance and empowering women to do everything they desire!

Justina Mann
Southwest Regional Director, AMAC Board of Directors
Chair, AMAC Chapters Development Committee
Assistant Vice President, Procurement and Materials Management, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

Previously, Ms. Justina Mann was the Director of INF Terminal Development for the Houston Airport System (HAS). In this role, Ms. Mann was responsible for the successful definition, procurement, negotiation, execution and implementation of HAS Domestic Terminal Development Program and other major programs undertaken by HAS airlines and partners.  She served as the HAS owner’s representative for Airline Terminal Development Programs, acting as an executive liaison between the airline program management teams and HAS. Ms. Mann is a National Board Member and was elected Treasurer for the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA). She chairs the NFBPA Finance Committee and is a long-standing Conference Planning and Evaluation Committee member.

Ms. Mann was elected the Southwest Regional Director for the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC), where she Chairs the AMAC Chapter Development Committee and serves on the AMAC Membership Committee. A native of St. Paul, MN, Ms. Mann received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota. She earned her Master of Project Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management. She is a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives, a Certified Public Procurement Officer, a Certified Professional Contracts Manager, a Project Management Professional and a Six Sigma Green Belt.

Ms. Mann began her career in aviation at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport as a procurement professional. She was afforded the opportunity to join the HAS as the Chief Procurement Officer. Currently thriving in Infrastructure, Ms. Mann enjoys aligning her project management and procurement experience with current aviation programs and opportunities impacting passengers, contractors and businesses around airports and transportation.