Phil Washington

Phillip A. Washington was initially nominated by Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock in July 2021 and most recently by current Mayor Mike Johnston in July 2023. He was unanimously confirmed by the Denver City Council as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Denver International Airport (DEN) both times. DEN ranks as the third-busiest airport in the U.S. and the fifth-busiest airport in the world. DEN is Colorado's largest economic engine with an annual economic impact of $36.4 billion. The airport has more than 40,000 badged employees, 26 air carriers, and over 200 concessions. Washington oversees a $12 billion-dollar Capital Improvement Program (CIP). He has led the resurgence of the airport, creating an ambitious vision that includes completely retrofitting the airport to accommodate 50 million more passengers than its original design. Under Phil's direction, his team has completed the training curriculum and design for a one-of-a-kind "Center of Equity & Excellence in Aviation" that will introduce young people to the aviation industry and create career pathways for thousands. Prior to Washington's arrival at DEN, he was the CEO of one of the largest public transit agencies in the country, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), from 2015 to 2021. At Metro, Washington managed a balanced budget of more than $8 billion and provided oversight of an agency with 11,000 employees that transported 1.2 million boarding passengers daily on a fleet of 2,200 clean-air buses and six rail lines. Washington also served as the CEO of Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) between 2009 and 2015 and worked as the assistant general manager of RTD for nearly 10 years before being named CEO. In Denver, he led and implemented the FasTracks program, one of the largest voter-approved transportation expansion programs in the country. Originally from the South Side of Chicago, Washington is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army, where he ultimately held the rank of Command Sergeant Major, the highest non-commissioned officer rank an enlisted soldier can achieve. He retired from active duty, is a disabled veteran and was awarded the prestigious Defense Superior Service Medal for exceptional service to his country. He holds a B.A. in Business from Columbia College and an M.A. in Management from Webster University.