Tampa International Airport is the Tampa Bay region’s gateway to the West Coast of Florida, serving nearly 17 million passengers each year with nonstop service to more than 70 domestic destinations as well as locations in Europe and Latin America. The airport is widely regarded as one of the best in the world for its focus on customer service and convenience. The main terminal, built in 1971, features a groundbreaking hub-and-spoke design with the world’s first airport people mover. The airport is a significant economic engine for the region. The airport and its tenants employ more than 7,500 people and have an economic impact of more than $7.1 billion each year.
Joe Lopano
CEO
Joe Lopano arrived in Tampa on January 1, 2011, as Tampa International Airport’s new CEO. He has worked 37 years in the aviation industry. Prior to accepting the CEO position in Tampa, he worked at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport for 14 years as its Executive Vice President for Marketing and Terminal Management. His experience also encompasses 19 years in the airline industry, including serving in leadership positions at Continental Airlines.
Joe serves on the boards of the Tampa Bay Chamber, Visit Tampa Bay, the Westshore Alliance, the Tampa Bay Partnership, the Tampa Bay Defense Alliance, the U.S. Travel Association’s Gateway Airports Council and the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization. He is a member of the executive committees for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, the Airports Council International–North America U.S. Policy Board and the Tony Jannus Society. He is an Honorary Commander at MacDill Air Force Base, and was selected to participate in Leadership Florida.
Joe was named Visit Tampa Bay’s 2015 Ambassador of the Year and received the 2015 Aviation Professional of the Year Award from the Florida Department of Transportation.
Joe received a bachelor’s in finance and accounting from Pace University in New York. He and his wife, Janet, live in South Tampa and have three grown children.