[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 77 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3949-S3950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO KRYS BART

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the leadership of 
Krys Bart, the president and CEO of the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority. 
Krys has worked at the airport authority for 14 years and transformed 
the airport into a modern facility that welcomes visitors from across 
the United States and the world to Northern Nevada.
  Krys arrived in Northern Nevada in 1998 at a turning point for the 
airport.

[[Page S3950]]

Decisions by the previous management team had negatively impacted 
employee morale and hurt the airport authority's reputation in the 
community. With her steady leadership, Krys focused on achievable goals 
to deliver results for airport passengers and improve the airport 
authority's reputation. Krys helped direct more than $500 million in 
infrastructure upgrades at the airport, including upgrading runways, 
taxiways, safety systems, and noise mitigation programs. I worked with 
Krys to secure more than $250 million in Federal funding for Reno-
Tahoe, including a new $27 million air traffic control tower. These 
infrastructure upgrades not only created jobs in Northern Nevada, but 
they also improved the passenger experience for flyers. In fact, the 
Reno-Tahoe Airport was recognized as one of the top five most efficient 
airports in North America three times under Krys' leadership.
  Krys' reputation as an innovative Nevada leader has been recognized 
on a national scale by major industry groups and associations. She was 
selected by her peers to serve as the chair of the board of the 
American Association of Airport Executives, the largest airport 
association in the world. Krys is a frequent lecturer at international 
aviation conferences, sharing the best management practices from her 
time as an airport executive. In 2011, Krys received the Distinguished 
Service Award from the American Association of Airport Executives. In 
2008, she was chair of the American Association of Airport Executives, 
and the Airport Revenue News named her the 2006 Airport Manager of the 
Year. These are just a few of the many awards and accomplishments that 
have followed Krys throughout her career, and it is a testament to the 
respect she has earned as one of the Nation's great airport managers.
  Later this year, Krys will step down as the president of the Reno-
Tahoe Airport Authority after a long and distinguished career in the 
aviation industry. While Krys' departure is a loss for the greater Reno 
community, her work to improve the airport and the greater community 
will benefit Nevadans for decades to come. I am pleased to recognize 
Krys' accomplishments before the Senate today and I wish her all the 
best in her retirement.

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