Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport continued to fill its executive leadership team with the hiring of Tim O’Donnell as chief financial officer and Andrew Branch as business development officer, responsible for retaining and increasing carriers and passengers.
The pair join CEO Aaron Burkes, who was hired in September, and Kelly Johnson, who was promoted to chief operations officer in October at the airport identified as XNA by its International Air Transport Association code.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have someone of Tim O’Donnell‘s caliber join us as our CFO. Tim’s vast experience in finance and accounting coupled with his proven track record as a strategic thinker will be crucial as we develop plans for major capital investments and new opportunities and partnerships here at XNA,” Burkes said.
“The creation of the new position of chief business development officer shows our Board of Directors’ appreciation for the critical role that XNA plays in the economic development and quality of life of Northwest Arkansas,” he added. “I am certain that the experience and enthusiasm that Andrew brings to this position will allow him to excel at developing partnerships that will benefit our local businesses, our leisure travelers, and our local economy.
“Tim and Andrew are both eager to make a big, positive impact on our region and continue to build on the great work of the dedicated XNA staff.”
O’Donnell most recently served as vice chancellor for finance and administration the University of Arkansas, while Branch was the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs’ chief financial officer.
Read More: Rebecca and Aaron Burkes feel at ease in Northwest Arkansas.
The Highfill-based airport which serves Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs and Springdale, opened in November 1998. It had its busiest year for passenger traffic last year, with a total of 1,574,610 travelers who flew into and out of the facility, a 9.4 percent increase compared to 2017.
Earlier this month, the airport announced it had added seasonal non-stop service to Denver via low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines.