Executive also receives legacy award from Airports Council International-North America

Miami On November 3, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) was recognized with one award and four honorable mentions for excellence in marketing, communications and customer service during Airports Council International-North America’s (ACI-NA) 2016 Marketing and Communications Conference in Salt Lake City. Additionally, MDAD Director of Public Relations and Digital Marketing Dickie Davis received the Ted Bushelman Legacy Award for Creativity and Excellence at the organization’s annual awards gala.

MIA’s winning submissions were chosen from more than 350 entries in 18 categories from airports throughout the U.S. and Canada, and were judged by a panel of marketing and communications professionals.

MIA won first place in the Public Relations Programs category for its Honor Flight, a multi-faced campaign honoring war heroes organized in partnership with the non-profit organization Honor Flight South Florida. On April 2, the iconic Eastern Airlines transported 77 World War II veterans and their Elite Guardians, 77 Vietnam War veterans, to Washington, D.C. for a day of sightseeing to visit the memorials dedicated in their honor. The inclusion of the Vietnam veterans was a first-ever event which added an even-greater emotional element to the events. The veterans departed on flight number 1941, the first year of the war, and returned on flight 1945, the year the war ended. The event culminated with a traditional “mail call,” the distribution of personalized thank-you letters collected at MIA from airlines, federal agencies, other airport tenants, local school children and civic organizations; and a homecoming at MIA, where more than 2,000 South Floridians gathered to take part in a receiving line that included local residents of all ages, local elected officials and members of the U.S. military, numerous honor guards, airport employees and passengers.     

MIA’s four honorable mention awards were in the following categories: Promotional Items, for MIAair (Airport Instruction and Readiness), a program designed to give South Floridians with autism-related disorders and other special needs the confidence to enjoy air travel by offering offer guided travel rehearsals and materials; Newsletters, for Tale Winds, MDAD’s print and electronic employee newsletter which provides a comprehensive, quarterly overview of important airport events, future plans and job benefits; Special Events, for the Wall of Honor Dedication Ceremony, a memorial at MIA for 118 military service men and women from South Florida who gave their lives while serving in the global war on terrorism since September 11, 2001; and Customer Service Programs, for MIAair.

The Legacy Award is the highest individual honor presented by the ACI-NA Marketing and Communications Committee. The award is named for its first recipient, Ted Bushelman, who served as Senior Director of Communications at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport for 40 years. It is presented to an individual nominated and selected by his or her peers in the airport industry. The recipient of this award must have a minimum of 15 years’ experience in one or more of the following disciplines: media relations; community relations; aviation education; customer service; marketing, and air service development.

Davis currently oversees MIA’s social media platforms, digital marketing assets, creative services, and customer service initiatives, which include its volunteer ambassador program. Recently, Davis has spearheaded the launch of numerous marketing and customer service innovations at the airport, including the MIA Airport Official mobile app, MIAair program for special needs travelers, and MIAmamas nursing suites. She began her career with MDAD 43 years ago and holds the distinction of being the first woman promoted to a management position in operations at MIA – a rarity for female executives in the early 1980s.

“We’re honored to be recognized once again by ACI-NA for our communication efforts, and we’re especially proud of Dickie for receiving the prestigious Ted Bushelman Legacy Award,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González. “Dickie truly embodies the hard work, dedication and innovative spirit we strive for at MIA, and her distinguished career certainly speaks for itself. Congratulations to her and our entire staff who were responsible for our Marketing and Communications awards this year.”

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports.