Mario Rodriguez, Ivy Tech Indianapolis Campus Board of Trustees member, named Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Dynamic Leader of the Year

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce names Mario Rodriguez as its 2023 Dynamic Leader of the Year!

Rodriguez, the executive director and CEO of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, is also a member of Ivy Tech Community College's Indianapolis Campus Board of Trustees. 

Rodriguez’s positive impact on not just the City of Indianapolis’ economy but Indiana’s is remarkable. 

For 11 consecutive years under Rodriguez’s leadership, the Indianapolis International Airport has been named the “Best Airport in North America.” He has served on three Presidential Transition Teams and served three times on the U.S. Transportation Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee.

In addition to serving as a community leader on our Indianapolis Campus Board of Trustees, Rodriguez is also on the boards of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Sports Corporation, and the Indiana Destination Development Corporation Foundation. He was previously the chair of the Indiana Latino Institute Board of Trustees and founded the Hispanic Leadership Council. 

Rodriguez’s list of accomplishments is long and vast. His most recent accolades include his 2023 induction into the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame, being listed as one of the Indiana Business Journal’s 250 Most Influential Leaders in Indiana, and receiving the Engineering News Record’s Top 25 Newsmaker’s Award. 

While speaking with Rodriguez about our phenomenal employer partnership between the Indianapolis Airport Authority and Ivy Tech Indianapolis, he said he always goes back to two questions: “What am I trying to accomplish? What is my why?”

“My why is to make the community better. And it’s as simple as that,” Rodriguez said. “Ivy Tech makes our community better each and every day. It’s important to drive our educational system to a greater extent and ensure that they provide more and more as time goes on.” 

Dr. Stacy Atkinson, Ivy Tech Indianapolis Chancellor, says having Rodriguez on our Board of Trustees is a true asset that she and her Cabinet do not take for granted. 

“We’re the lucky ones in these partnerships, such as with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, around the city and central Indiana. It just makes sense that the person who runs this exceptional operation at the airport also serves on our Campus Board. He is a true asset!,” Dr. Atkinson said. 

NEXT: Airport employee pursues higher education at the speed of life at Ivy Tech Indianapolis