Arlington, TX – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today announced Brian Butler from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Dil Gruffydd from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), and Randall Carlton from Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) as recipients of the 2025 ACI-NA Finance Professionals of the Year Award.
“Airport finance professionals play a critical role in ensuring that North America’s airports are financially stable and set up for success in the long-term to benefit passengers and the broader communities they serve,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “Brian Butler, Dil Gruffydd, and Randall Carlton draw on vast experience in airport finance to deploy innovative strategies that advance their airports, employees, passengers, and communities while navigating financial uncertainty. I commend their leadership and ability to enhance the travel experience for all passengers.”
The recipients were announced during a gala dinner at the 2025 ACI-NA Business of Airports Conference in Arlington, Texas. More than 650 attendees representing the commercial management, business diversity, human resources, and finance sectors in the North American airport industry attended the conference.
Large Airport Finance Professional of the Year: Brian Butler, Salt Lake City International Airport
For the past 10 years, Brian Butler has been the Chief Financial Officer at Salt Lake City International Airport, expertly leading the airport through numerous challenges. In this role, he navigated a $5 billion construction project in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic, negotiated two major airline agreements that significantly increased cash flow, and helped facilitate an overhaul of antiquated facilities to a new passenger-friendly design.
Butler dedicates his keen strategic thinking to advance the airport industry, demonstrating valuable leadership and dedication in the process. As one of the most active members of the ACI-NA Finance Committee Steering Group, he hosted the 2023 CFO Summit and is a regular resource for other airports and professionals on the committee. He is a frequent voice at conferences, regularly facilitates industry panels, and even took the lead on initiatives to bring together other Delta hub CFOs. Butler is a strong mentor to younger members of his staff, encouraging multiple viewpoints and fostering robust discussion across the organization to improve the airport to benefit future generations.
Medium Airport Finance Professional of the Year: Dil Gruffydd, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
As Chief Financial Officer of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Dil Gruffydd has navigated CVG through rigorous financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did he oversee the financing and completion of a $175 million rental car facility in 2021, but he is also spearheading the airport’s five-year, $1.2 billion capital improvement program. Under his strategic leadership, CVG was able to extend its airline agreement and subsequently negotiate the 2023 Airline Use and Lease Agreement to support the growth and competitive positioning of the airport. Gruffydd has demonstrated his commitment and leadership to the industry by serving on the Cincinnati Business Advisory Council to the Federal Reserve, earning his International Airport Professional credential in 2018, and completing ACI’s Airport Executive Leadership Program at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University.
Small Airport Finance Professional of the Year: Randy Carlton, Reno-Tahoe International Airport
Randy Carlton is the Chief Finance and Administration Officer at Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA). During his tenure at RTAA, Carlton has led transformative projects, including helping secure an award-winning partnership to construct a $299 million consolidated rental car facility and issuing $238.3 million in Airport Revenue Bonds to support the airport’s MoreRNO Infrastructure Program. Carlton also serves as RTAA’s Risk Manager and is an active participant of ACI-NA’s Finance Committee, demonstrating his longstanding leadership and dedication to the airport industry.
About ACI-NA
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. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity, or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 435,800 jobs and contribute C$49.6 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.
# # #