City Club of Chicago: Jamie Rhee, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation

December 14, 2023

Commissioner Jamie Rhee – Chicago Department of Aviation

City Club event description:

Commissioner Jamie Rhee
Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee is a leader in the aviation community, managing one of the world’s largest airport systems: Chicago O’Hare and Midway International Airports. Over the course of 29 years with the City of Chicago, Rhee has served in multiple positions, including General Counsel for the O’Hare Modernization Program, Chief Procurement Officer, and Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation since 2018.

Rhee has dedicated much of her career to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The procurement reform efforts she led during her City career have received national and international recognition and Rhee herself has received dozens of industry awards for her contributions.

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She has overseen the purchasing of more than $2 billion in goods and services, authored articles and publications on aviation safety and security, and increased the accessibility of municipal contracts to minority, women, disabled, and veteran-owned businesses.

A steadfast advocate for accountability in government, Rhee and her team have developed a Code of Conduct for the Chicago airport community, detailing principles, values, and standards to be upheld by everyone working for and with the CDA.

In the summer of 2022, Rhee was elected chair of the U.S. Policy Council for Airports Council International – North America, a year after joining the group’s board of directors to promote cooperation between airport governing bodies. It’s one of ten boards Rhee serves on, including the international board for the American Association of Airport Executives. Rhee earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University where she made law review her first year.