The Sky’s the Limit for Retiring LaGuardia GM

Posted on September 6, 2019 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

Alana Calmi, Media Relations Staff

On any given Friday, LaGuardia Airport General Manger Lysa Scully would be found in meetings with staff, closely monitoring weather and traffic patterns and assessing their impact on the airport, reviewing the week’s events, and planning for the week ahead.

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Lysa Scully airside at LaGuardia Airport

Today, however, was no typical Friday. After 33 years with the Port Authority –the last six as general manager of one of the busiest airports in the country –Scully is hanging up her wings. Her last day began with a ceremonial water cannon salute on the LGA tarmac, followed by a farewell visit to each airport division.

“I wanted to spend my last day thanking the people who have made my life at work memorable and happy,” she said.

Scully has been LaGuardia GM during a remarkable period of transformation at the airport, balancing an $8 billion redevelopment project while working to maintain airport operations with minimal disruptions. LaGuardia serves 30 million passengers annually and employs about 12,000 people.

Asked what it’s like running an airport, she responded: “exhilarating, challenging, exciting, and tiring.” During her time as GM, she was involved in all aspects of airport life and maintenance, from amassing updates on airport operations to making sure the sidewalks are shoveled and accessible after each snowstorm.

Over the years, Scully became a role model for others as she was entrusted with increasingly challenging roles within the agency. She says she was also the beneficiary of great mentors who helped facilitate her journey in aviation.

“Life is about timing and taking chances, and I didn’t know anything about aviation other than the financial side,” Scully said of her initial move to the Aviation Department. Scully learned the business, working on strategy, development and customer-facing aspects of the airport.

But she still had not worked at an airport. That changed with Sue Baer, the legendary Port Authority Aviation leader who was the first and only person to run all three of the agency’s major airports. Baer took Scully under her wing and encouraged her to pursue a higher path in Aviation, helping facilitate her transfer to LaGuardia. In 2009, Scully was named LGA’s deputy general manager.

As a woman assuming the airport’s top job in 2013, Scully was determined to help other talented women attain similar Port Authority leadership heights. Last spring, she began discussions with LaGuardia’s Michele Delgado and Madeline Arango on creating an empowerment group for women employees. Eventually, the idea became Women Empowering Other Women (WOW), a support forum for women in aviation.

 

Lysa putting out the grill after a BBQ at LGA
Lysa being interviewed by NBC
Lunch and Learn with QCA artists
Lysa Scully and Chris Rhoads, LGA Operations Manager

“Lysa is an incredible woman and leader with so much insight and industry knowledge,” Delgado said. “It was only natural she came up with the vision to create LGA-WOW. She’ll continue to be an inspiration, not only to all of the women at LGA, but to all women throughout the agency and the aviation industry.”

“My advice to women is very simple: to be yourself, do not be afraid to speak up, and not be afraid to take risks,” Scully said. “It’s all about giving back to the women behind us—we’re only here for a moment.”

Scully was raised in Westville, N.J., with her immigrant mother, father and siblings. She jokes that she was “born in front of the oven,” since her family owned and ran a pizzeria. She got a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Rutgers University, and an MBA in Finance from New York’s Pace University.

She also holds an Airport Certified Employee (ACE) designation from the American Association of Airport Executives. Scully will remain on the Board of Trustees at Vaughn College and continue to be involved in Kiwanis activities, in an effort to assist children who do not have access to many opportunities.

“I admire the drive and commitment of the students to better their family status through education. Many of the students are first generation Americans, and first in their family to attend college, as was I,” Scully said of her commitment to the Vaughn College board.

In retirement, she says she’ll take some time to catch her breath, enjoy her husband and family, work on her golf game and hike in various countries around the globe. Still, she concedes, it’s hard to leave her LaGuardia family behind.

“It’s very bittersweet, this is a family we have here at LaGuardia,” she said.

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Keeping Calm in the Eye of the Storm

Posted on August 13, 2019 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

By Ryan Stolz, Media Relations Staff

It’s been nearly seven years since Superstorm Sandy wreaked lasting havoc throughout the New York-New Jersey region. But for Gerard McCarty, director of the Port Authority Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the next devastating storm is always potentially right around the corner.

To better prepare for the next Sandy-level storm and destructive surge, McCarty and his team are continually working to put the Port Authority in the best position to respond.

“As far as warning and the preparation that we have a storm coming, I think we’re in a better world today,” McCarty said.

McCarty credits this ‘better world’ to the Port Authority’s partnership with the Stevens Institute of Technology’s Davidson Laboratory. Established five years ago, the partnership has helped produce innovative forecasting models that more accurately detect early signs of serious flooding caused by rain and storm surge.

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Director McCarty in the OEM command center

Weather forecasters say the Atlantic hurricane season is expected to remain relatively quiet through the end of August. But the more intense fall season could be another story, with predictions of fierce storms that underscore the importance of collaboration between OEM and Stevens.

The need for that level of coordination was amplified during Superstorm Sandy. Just before the storm struck, the National Weather Service (NWS) informed the Port Authority about a projected surge but was unable to estimate its height or impact. The need for a more precise, localized monitoring system became clear.

As part of their predictive modeling, scientists at Stevens have placed sensors in bodies of water that deliver real-time data to a supercomputer housed at the Hoboken college. The computer produces four models per day, which are shared with the Port Authority and then distributed to other agencies or communities as warranted.

In 2018, the Davidson Laboratory underwent a leadership change, bringing new staff and a new way of thinking with the planned introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the equation by 2021, according to Saleh Kojak, a Port Authority geographic information systems specialist and OEM’s point person on the Stevens project.

“We are looking into different ways of modeling,” Kojak said. “We’re going to try and find patterns of weather systems and see if that can predict similar forecasts.”

Dr. Muhammad Hajj, the principal investigator at the Davidson Laboratory, notes how much more efficient forecasting can be with the implementation of AI, which he says can provide for 99 percent predictive accuracy.

“Having this information, we can use different strategies to design and protect these areas ahead of time instead of waiting for a hurricane to take place and try to see what we could do,” Hajj said.

The Davidson Lab has proven its worth several times, including a potential 2015 major storm surge at John F. Kennedy International Airport that, in fact, turned out to be no threat at all for significant flooding and severe disruption to airport operations. The lab’s projection based on its modeling program was correct.

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For This Airport Manager, the Service is Nonstop

Posted on August 6, 2019 by PANYNJ PORTfolio

 By Krista Didzbalis, Media Relations Staff

Picture this: You’ve packed your luggage and prepared the travel documents, ready to make the trek to Newark Airport and begin the pre-flight process. Upon arrival, you print your boarding pass and check your luggage. Next, you pass through security to the gate in time to board the plane and enjoy your flight.

If you’ve traveled by air, the process may sound familiar. But a successful flight depends on adeptly managing many moving parts, often out of the view of the traveler. At Newark Liberty’s Terminal B, Port Authority staff are working behind the scenes 24/7 to make the process run like clockwork.

One of those key people is Karen Zweifel, the airport’s International Duty Facilities manager.

“Passengers don’t realize that there are always people watching—monitoring flight times and gates or handling baggage issues. We are always problem-solving to make sure that things in the airport are running smoothly,” said Zweifel.

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Karen Zweifel

With a longtime passion for air transportation, Zweifel originally pursued a degree in Commercial Aviation. She obtained her private pilot’s license and completed commercial and instrument flight training, then changed her degree to Communications, with a specialization in Public Relations. Terminal B is where these two worlds connect, a place where she has taken on a more project-oriented role that requires continual communication with airport staff.

“Aviation has always been my focus, and the work I’m able to do in the airport operations field allows me to combine my skills and knowledge with my passion for airports and travel,” she said.

On paper, Zweifel’s shift runs from about 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but airport operators work around-the-clock, often facing unpredictable challenges, and a set schedule is more a concept than a reality.

With summer the peak flight season, operations staff must respond accordingly. “We’re so busy with a high volume of passengers, which means a high volume of baggage. Things get stuck, things break, and we need to handle these situations appropriately,” Zweifel explained.

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Zweifel (center) working with members of the Terminal B team

Not to mention the domino effect that occurs when a flight is early or delayed. If there is a conflict with an aircraft, it may be necessary to adjust the gates and make sure they fit while keeping a close eye on the flight schedule. Above all, Zweifel understands what it takes to give travelers the best possible experience at Newark Liberty. Her mantra? Traveling to your next destination, don’t forget there is a team of hardworking people always thinking three steps ahead.

“The most rewarding part of my day is being able to see issues and gather resources to improve the situation. When everything is flowing smoothly it makes this a better place to work and to travel through,” she said.

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