DFW International Airport Board Welcomes Two New Members, Votes On Leadership

The DFW Airport Board of Directors welcomed two new members today, while voting to retain the Board leadership in its current positions for another year. Joining the Airport Board are Regina Montoya and Curtis E. Ransom, who were appointed by the Dallas City Council to two-year terms. Board Chairman Robert W. Hsueh of Dallas was re-elected by the Board as Chairman, as were Vice Chair Lillie Biggins of Fort Worth and Board Secretary Sam Coats of Dallas.

Ms. Montoya brings a wealth of experience in both legal and government affairs to the Airport Board. A Harvard-trained attorney, Montoya serves as Senior Vice President, External Relations and General Counsel at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, where she oversees legal affairs, governance, government relations, community relations and compliance/internal audit.

Ms. Montoya previously served in the Clinton White House as Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In 1998, she was nominated by the President to serve as a U.S. Representative to the 53rd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Mr. Ransom brings extensive business experience to the Airport Board. The current President and Owner of CERP Foods, Inc., Mr. Ransom has owned and operated a KFC franchisee business for the last 23 years, and he now has nine KFC locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin markets.

Ransom also serves on the Board of Directors of Africare, appointed to the position by Texas Governor Rick Perry. Ransom has served on numerous community boards, including the Dallas Community College Foundation, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and the Dallas Urban League.

Montoya and Ransom were appointed to seats made available with the departures of Brenda Reyes and Ben Muro, whose terms expired. The Dallas City Council also re-appointed Forrest Smith to another two-year term on the Board.

The DFW International Airport Board is comprised of 12 members, with the Dallas and Fort Worth Mayors each holding a permanent seat on the Board. Current members include Chairman Hsueh, Secretary Coats, Montoya, Ransom, Forrest Smith, Bernice Washington and Mayor Mike Rawlings, all from Dallas, as well as Vice Chair Biggins, Immediate Past Chair Francisco Hernandez, Jeffrey Wentworth and Mayor Betsy Price from Fort Worth. The Dallas City Council appoints six members of the Board, and the Fort Worth City Council appoints three members.

A single non-voting member is appointed by one of the four host cities of DFW Airport, rotating annually between the cities of Euless, Grapevine, Irving and Coppell. The current non-voting member is Coppell Mayor Karen Hunt.