Norfolk airport taps new COO in leadership shuffle

The Norfolk Airport Authority announced last week that Melinda Montgomery will become its new chief operations officer and a vice president, starting in early June.

Montgomery will be tasked with overseeing regulatory compliance and ensuring that various day-to-day operations at Norfolk International Airport are efficiently run. She currently works at New Jersey’s Trenton-Mercer Airport, where she’s held various executive roles for more than 25 years, including the past 13 years as airport manager. She plans to retire from the position shortly before joining Norfolk.

“I’m extremely excited to enter this new chapter of my career at an airport that’s experienced tremendous growth in passenger volume while also improving and expanding its physical infrastructure,” Montgomery said in a statement. “The authority’s organization is also adapting to meet future needs, and I look forward to playing a role in effecting those changes for the team’s continued success.”

In her new role, Montgomery’s duties will include oversight of its operations, field maintenance and security and public safety departments. She will also lead developing and maintaining operational documents such as the airport certification manual, airport security program, wildlife hazard management plan and airport emergency plan. She will also ensure compliance with some Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

Montgomery’s new job is the result of a shuffling of positions at the airport. Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Steve Sterling will retire at the end of June, Norfolk Airport Authority spokesperson Chris Jones said, and his duties are being reassigned. Shelia Ward, vice president and chief operations officer, will assume some of Sterling’s duties and will take on a new role as chief administrative officer. The position she’s leaving will be filled by Montgomery.

Jones said some of Sterling’s other duties will be absorbed by Steve Djunaedi, vice president and chief commercial officer. He joined the organization at the start of the year.

Montgomery has a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and management from New York’s Dowling College, and later obtained a MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The airport announced earlier this year that it recorded a third consecutive year of record-breaking passenger traffic last year, with 4.86 million passengers in 2024, up from 4.55 million in 2023. Allegiant, American, Breeze, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United currently offer service from the airport.