Rick Ruppert Elected to Head Naples Airport Authority Board
NAPLES, Fla. – The Board of Commissioners of the Naples Airport Authority elected Commissioners Rick Ruppert as Chairman and Rita Cuddihy as Vice Chair for 2024.
The Board is comprised of five citizen volunteers, each appointed by the Naples City Council for a fouryear term, to govern the Naples Airport Authority. Other commissioners are Kerry C. Dustin, Terry Cavanaugh, and Robert Patten Burns.
After his election, Ruppert appointed Commissioners to serve on committees for the year. Cavanaugh chairs the Audit Committee, which includes Burns and Dustin. Dustin chairs the Consultant Selection Committee which Burns also serves on. Cuddihy continues to serve as the liaison to the Noise Compatibility Committee.
Ruppert, appointed to the board in 2020, retired with over 40 years of executive experience at several corporations, including Jet Aviation, The Walt Disney Company, and most recently at Ulta Beauty as vice president of merchandise and private label products. He is a 10-year resident of Naples who previously served as the Gulf Shore Association of Condominiums liaison to the NAA.
Cuddihy, appointed to the board in 2021, is retired from a vibrant career in travel and hospitality. Most recently, she served in multiple senior executive positions in marketing, brands, and operations at Marriott International. She previously served as President and CEO of US Airways Shuttle in addition to several other executive positions at US Airways and Continental Airlines. Additionally, Cuddihy also served as a member of the Board of Directors for Frontier Airlines. She is currently on the Hospitality School Advisory Board for Metropolitan State University and on the Volunteer Opportunities Team for Greater Naples Leadership. Cuddihy serves as the Board liaison to the airport’s Noise Compatibility Committee and previously served as the liaison to the Technical Advisory Committee.
Naples Airport Authority meetings are held monthly at Naples City Hall; they are open to the public and available for online viewing through the city’s website. For the meeting schedule, visit www.FlyNaples.com.
About Naples Airport
Naples Airport is ideally located within minutes of downtown Naples, the Gulf of Mexico and I-75, connecting people to the Paradise Coast through an exceptional airport experience. The airport serviced 119,075 annual operations and more than 200,000 passengers last year, while being an engaged, responsive partner to the community. Home to corporate aviation, air charter, car rental, flight schools and critical public services such as fire/rescue, air ambulance services, mosquito control and the Collier County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit. The airport also prides itself on being the hub of emergency staging during natural disasters, like hurricanes. All funds used for the airport’s operation, maintenance and improvements are generated from activities at the airport or federal and state grants from aviation-related user fees. The airport receives no local tax dollars. The Florida Department of Transportation values the airport’s annual economic impact on the
community at more than $781 million.
For more information or to subscribe to email updates from the airport, visit http://www.FlyNaples.com.