The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority has appointed Cris Jensen as President and Chief Executive Officer. Jensen, an Accredited Airport Executive, had been serving as Interim President and CEO and will continue to provide strategic leadership and oversight of all airport operations at Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Reno-Stead Airport in Nevada. The appointment, announced on 10 July 2026, concluded a national search conducted with ADK Consulting & Executive Search, a retained search firm specializing in the aviation industry.
Jensen's career has come full circle. He began in aviation at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in 1992 as an Airport Operations Officer. In 1997 he joined Elko Regional Airport, where he spent nearly eight years as Airport Director, and then led Missoula International Airport as Airport Director for almost 16 years before returning to the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority in 2021. His Accredited Airport Executive certification from the American Association of Airport Executives reflects proven expertise in airport operations, management and leadership.
"I look forward to continuing to lead RTAA and further strengthening the air service we provide for travelers and our region's expanding businesses," Jensen said. "Having returned to the airport where I started my career, I've seen our community grow into a dynamic and exciting place to be. It is an immense privilege to be selected for this leadership role where I'll work alongside employees and community partners to help shape the future of aviation for our region."
He holds a bachelor's degree in Aviation Studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The decision to convert an interim leader into the permanent chief executive after a full national search is a vote for continuity, and it fits a wider pattern among American airport authorities. Boards overseeing fast growing regional airports increasingly prefer leaders who already know the asset, the airlines and the local political landscape, provided an external benchmark confirms the choice. The use of a specialist aviation search firm to run that benchmark, rather than a generalist recruiter, has become standard practice for public sector aviation mandates.
For airport boards and public sector bodies planning succession, the case illustrates a usable playbook: appoint a credible interim early, run the external search in parallel, and let the process either validate the incumbent or surface a stronger alternative. For executives in airport management, the appointment underlines the career value of accreditation and of long operational tenures at smaller airports, which remain the proving ground for major hub leadership roles.
