The Columbus Regional Airport Authority seeks an experienced and strategic General Counsel to serve as chief legal advisor to the President & CEO and Board of Directors. This executive leadership role provides enterprise-wide oversight of Legal Services, Risk Management and Board Governance, ensuring the Authority operates with the highest standards of legal compliance, integrity and accountability.
The General Counsel provides legal counsel on complex regulatory, governance, contractual, and operational matters; oversees compliance with federal, state, and local laws; manages outside counsel; and represents the Authority before governmental agencies and courts as appropriate. This role also partners closely with the Board of Directors, supports strategic planning initiatives, and leads preventative risk management efforts to safeguard the organization.
The ideal candidate will bring a Juris Doctorate, at least 15 years of progressive legal experience (preferably within governmental or aviation-related environments), demonstrated executive leadership experience, and licensure to practice law in the State of Ohio. This position requires a strategic thinker with strong negotiation, governance, and stakeholder engagement skills who can guide long-term organizational sustainability in a complex, highly regulated environment.
Established through the Ohio Revised Code, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (“CRAA”) is a self-sustaining independent public entity that owns and operates three airports serving Central Ohio - John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), and Bolton Field (TZR). CRAA is dedicated to its vision of “connecting Ohio to the world” and mission “to develop and operate our aviation system assets in a manner that provides passengers, businesses, and the community with the highest level of service, safety, satisfaction, and economic benefit.” Operating 130+ flights a day to 50+ nonstop destinations, CRAA airports welcome more than 9 million passengers a year and CMH is the 50th largest airport in the United States by passengers.
