As the new chair of Bradley International Airport’s board of directors, Caren A. Kittredge will have a lot of say over the future of the airport. What she won’t have, though, is a shortcut through Transportation Security Administration lines or a special parking space.
“The first thing my friends asked me, after congratulating me, was if I was going to get bumped up to first class,” she said.
Kittredge travels “in spurts” as head of national marketing for Aetna’s local and regional businesses, but still finds time for volunteering.
“Aetna is a great community partner,” said Kittredge, adding that the company allows her the flexibility to volunteer for tasks such as serving on the airport board.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell appointed Kittredge to the position. “The governor asked me to do this because I have some background in volunteering,” said Kittredge, who has experience as president of the Bushnell Parks Foundation, member of the Judicial Review Commission, and service on the Glastonbury Economic Development Commission.
“It’s one of those things,” Kittredge said. “You start doing things on a volunteer basis … and you have a little bit of success … and people want you to do more things.”
Her fellow board members may welcome Kittredge’s desire to reduce the frequency of meetings. “That’s my charge going forward. I try to be efficient,” she said.
Her board is responsible for setting policy, but not the day-to-day operations of the airport, which is the nation’s 53rd largest in terms of passenger volume.
Kittredge said the board continues to work on the airport’s master plan’s objectives, as well as interact with the Federal Aviation Administration. “The airport is a great asset,” said Kittredge, 47. “It is a great economic driver for the state and surrounding communities.”
In her new role, Kittredge wants to continue the emphasis on economic development and opportunities for the airport.
“We can’t drive forward if the airport doesn’t do well,” she said. “I tend to take a long view and have a strategic bent. We’re going to continue to work on the customer experience to make it the strongest it can be. I’ve seen Bradley as a consumer. I’ve also seen the way other airports of this size handle things.”
