After serving seven years on the commission that governs the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, LaWanda D. Harris has stepped down.
She was the current chair of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JMAA).
During her term as chair, Southwest Airlines returned after a seven-year absence, the JMAA Educational Training Academy that introduces aviation and its career opportunities to Jackson youth continued and the airport terminal building at Hawkins Field was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Harris, a registered nurse, earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing science and a master’s degree in health services administration from Mississippi College. She has been involved in numerous community outreach projects such as health fairs, public health initiatives and mentoring programs.
The resignation of Harris means there are two vacancies on the five-member commission.
Currently serving on the commission are E. Robert Martin, vice chair; retired Lt. Commander Lucius Wright; and Rickey Jones.
Jones, who directs the Jackson State University Small Business Development Center and is a licensed real estate sales agent, is the newest member. He attended his first meeting in October.
All members of JMAA are appointed by Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and confirmed by the city council.
The city council on Sept. 27 confirmed Lumumba’s appointment of Jones, a Ward 5 resident, to a term on the JMAA that will expire on Oct. 27, 2025.
Jones, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from the University of Southern Mississippi and has finished the coursework for an MBA from JSU, expected his work with the Small Business Development Center to be helpful.
Martin, a graduate of Alcorn State University who is the owner and CEO of RedTail Aviation Group, a privately held aviation consulting company, and Wright, the retired director of Army instruction (JROTC) for Jackson public schools, are the commissioners with work experience directly tied to aviation.
Martin worked for Mesa Airlines from 2000-2016 and was vice president of City Skies Airways from 2007-2010. In 2002, Martin was part of the 71st Flying Training Wing providing basic special undergraduate pilot training for the Military T-1 Jayhawk tanker and transport aircrew training.
Wright earned a bachelor’s degree from Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia where he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He also earned a master’s degree from Jackson State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Temple University. His life’s experiences include completion of two combat aviation assignments in Vietnam and work as the deputy commander of the 70th Transportation Battalion (Aviation) in Germany and as commander of the Aviation Division at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. He has received numerous military awards and decorations, including some for aviation.
The commission oversees the finances and operations of the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, the busiest airport in the state and home to the Mississippi Air National Guard 172nd Airlift Wing. Commissioners define the airport’s strategic goals and appoint the airport’s chief executive officer, who is responsible for implementing the board’s plans.
The commission is also responsible for the operation of Hawkins Field Airport in Jackson, which is home to the Mississippi Army National Guard 185th Aviation Brigade.
Each commissioner receives a per diem for service to JMAA and is reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses related to the business of the airport. Each commissioner is treated as a public employee for numerous purposes that include immunity, lobbying and ethics.
