AMAC Legends & Leapers: October 2025
AMAC Legends & Leapers is a virtual conversation series featuring an aviation industry legend and leaper.
Legend
Mara Rosales is the founder of Rosales Law Partners LLP. She has extensive experience in airport, transportation, government law and public policy. She served as chair of the Airports & Transportation Group at Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai LLP and was the head of the Airport Practice group at the law firm of Meyers Nave in San Francisco. Before entering private practice in 2004, Mara served as San Francisco International Airport’s general counsel for over ten years (1992 – 2003) and was SFO’s Deputy Director for Regulatory & Legislative Affairs (2003).
As chief in-house counsel for SFO, then a $590 million enterprise, Mara handled legal issues related to the $3 billion ten-year terminal facilities expansion project and airport operations. The legal matters included advice on retail opportunities within the new International Terminal, access to SFO via public transit, including ground transportation providers, commercial leases, airport procedures within a high-security facility, and intergovernmental transportation matters with SFO’s neighboring public entities in San Mateo County. During her tenure at SFO, Mara gained direct experience with over 300 public agency construction projects, including the International Terminal General Building Contract, the BART to SFO Construction Project, and the AirTrain/Light Rail System Contract. Notably, Mara negotiated a project labor agreement with the San Mateo Building and Construction Trades Council for the airport’s multi-billion-dollar project and successfully defended that agreement before the California courts. (Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. v. San Francisco Airports Commission (1999) 21 Cal.4th 352.)
Before joining SFO, Mara served for nine years as a San Francisco deputy city attorney in the Government Law Division. There, she developed special expertise in First and Fourteenth Amendment issues, public law, including public records, open meeting laws and public contracting. Mara has a distinguished 30+-year career in the specialized area of equity and inclusion in public contracting. As general counsel and deputy city attorney, Mara authored and defended several minority- and local-business contracting programs. (See e.g., Domar Electric, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles (1994) 9 Cal.4th 161; Associated General Contractors of California v. Coalition for Economic Equity (9th Cir. 1991) 950 F.2d 1401.) Rosales Law Partners and Mara have represented several public agencies, including Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Los Angeles International, Oakland International, LA Metro, BART, and the State of Oregon, on federal business program issues. She was lead outside counsel representing the City of Atlanta in equal business opportunity legislation and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in the Associated General Contractors, San Diego Chapter v. Caltrans matter, an action challenging the constitutionality of California’s 49 CFR Part 26 DBE Highway Program.
During her career, Mara has handled more than 150 civil litigation matters in California state and federal courts, including more than 30 appellate matters, obtaining over 18 published decisions. Mara’s diverse national practice includes representing cities, states, public entities, airport concessionaires, construction-related companies, and major private-sector institutional clients.
Leaper
Mica Anderson is the Sr. Director of Airport Access & Business Opportunity at DEN; dedicated to expanding opportunities for small businesses, ensuring accessibility for all, and supporting the growth and success of diverse entrepreneurs. She’s also vice-chair of ACI-NA’s Business Diversity Committee.
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).
