PHILADELPHIA, PA – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today announced that Patty Clark was named the recipient of the 2026 William E. Downes, Jr. Memorial Award. The Downes Award, the highest honor given by ACI-NA, is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting the cause of airports and aviation throughout the local, national, and worldwide communities. The award was presented during a special ceremony at the 2026 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 2026.
“Patty Clark has had, and continues to have, a tremendous impact on the aviation industry,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “Her leadership and dedication to making airports and the aviation community better truly embody the spirit of the Downes Award. We are honored to recognize her longstanding commitment to this industry.”
Clark spent 24 years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in a myriad of positions from Program Manager of the JFK and EWR AirTrain to the agency’s very first Chief Aviation Strategy Officer. Clark developed and helped implement the strategy for the long-term development of the Port Authority’s five-airport system, inclusive of the LGA and JFK Redevelopment Programs.
Additionally, Clark served on the Worldwide Slot Guidance Strategic Review Task Force and was subsequently named to the Expert Group on Slots. Clark’s work on the Expert Slot Board has had positive international implications, strengthening the role of airports in deciding gate allocations for international service.
Even in her post-retirement role, Clark continues to tackle tough issues. She engaged with ACI-NA on its workforce strategy to enroll, train and retain employees for airport operations. She continues to champion these workforce efforts in light of the industry’s shortage of employees. To further help with growing workforce needs, Clark serves on the Board of Directors of Vaughn College, a school that is aviation focused comprised predominantly of first-generation college students. She has mentored and guided many students in this program to help them achieve their career goals.
“Airports don’t get to walk away when something goes wrong. Whatever happens elsewhere in the system, the passenger is standing in our terminal, and we have to fix it. That is why I have fought for airports to have a seat at every decision-making table, and why the next generation must keep working to make air travel accessible, affordable and dignified for everyone,” said Clark. “I am deeply honored by this award—and I’m not finished yet.”
Resiliency is a theme with Clark, and so many members of the aviation industry have been impacted by her incredible leadership. Clark became integral in preserving the Vesey Street staircase, known as the Survivors’ Staircase, now displayed in the 9/11 memorial and museum. It is those stairs that saved Clark’s life. She worked with state, local and preservation officials to ensure that a piece of aviation history was preserved forever.
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