Transportation 2024: JOHN E. ‘JACK’ POTTER

Potter oversees two of the busiest airports in the country — Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International — as well as the Dulles Toll Road.

In 2023, 50.6 million passengers came through the two Northern Virginia airports, setting a new travel record. Meanwhile, Reagan National was at the center of controversy when the U.S. Senate approved a bill to allow 10 additional flights at the busy airport. U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine blasted the move, saying it would cause more ‘chaos’ on the tarmac. In April, two planes almost collided at the airport, and the two Virginia senators filed an amendment to halt expansion.

Meanwhile, Potter and the MWAA board reached a 15-year agreement with airlines that will take effect in January 2025 and includes a $9 billion capital construction program. The largest project is nearly $7 billion in expansion and improvements at Dulles, including a new concourse and a fifth runway, and at Reagan, $2.39 billion to replace its main concourse.

A New York native, Potter served as U.S. postmaster general for 10 years. He earned degrees from Fordham University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.