Tampa International Airport names new CEO after 10-month search

Michael Stephens, the longtime legal counsel at Tampa International Airport, has been chosen as the organization’s new CEO and will take over for the retiring Joe Lopano.

Stephens, 52, was chosen to run the organization, which sees an estimated 25 million passengers each year, Tuesday morning by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority’s board of directors.

His compensation and an official start date have yet to be negotiated, according to a statement from the airport.

The board voted 4 to 1 in his favor Tuesday, choosing him over the other finalist for the position, John Tiliacos, TPA’s executive vice president of operations and customer service.

Stephens will be only the fourth CEO for the airport since 1965 and its first Black chief executive.

“Tampa International Airport is a beloved institution and an industry icon, and I’m looking forward to leading our organization while building on an award-winning reputation of excellence,” Stephens says in a statement.

“It will be an incredible honor to follow in Joe’s footsteps and lead some of the best talent in the business. I’m thankful to the Board and our community for this opportunity to build onto the TPA legacy.”

Stephens joined TPA nine years ago. In his role as the airport’s general counsel, he has been responsible for providing legal opinions and advice to both Lopano and the board of directors on issues involving the authority.

He has also served as executive vice president for information technology services, human resources, government and community relations, risk management and business diversity.

Stephens is a graduate of Morehouse College and earned his law degree at American University where he also earned a master’s degree in international affairs. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

According to his LinkedIn profile, before coming to Tampa International in November 2015, he was the director of human resources at the University of South Florida from 2006 until 2009 and the chief business enterprise and safety officer at the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority from 2009 to 2015.

In addition to his corporate work, he served as a captain and trial counsel in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where he was also appointed as a special assistant U.S. Attorney. On active duty he was an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force and he's also testified twice before Congress on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection.

Lopano, in the statement, called Stephens “one of the most brilliant and well-rounded professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”

“I have no doubt, given his track record and ties to this community, that he will be able to not only lead this organization through any challenge, but take it to new heights as we enter the next era of aviation.”

Stephen’s hiring comes after a 10-month search that began after Lopano announced his retirement in February. The search was eventually narrowed down to four, all of who were internal candidates and then two Oct. 30.

Lopano served for 13 years and saw the airport through the pandemic and a large renovation that includes building the rental car center, the SkyConnect train system and a concessions redevelopment program.

Stephens, as he prepares to begin his tenure, will be faced with issues that will guide the airport’s future, including overseeing the construction of Airside D, the new state-of-the-art $1.5 billion terminal expected to open in 2028, new technology and advancements in the industry and financial and environmental sustainability.

A timeline for the transition has not been determined.