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On April 23, Vancouver Airport Authority announced that Mary Jordan will retire as chair of the board of directors in May 2019 at the end of her full term. Jordan had an impressive 15-year tenure at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), having served on the board since 2004 and as board chair since 2010. In recognition of Jordan’s significant and far-reaching contributions to the organization, the Airport Authority has established the Mary B. Jordan YVR Scholarship–a $20,000 scholarship to support women pursuing business studies in British Columbia.
Jordan joined the YVR board following a notable career in the airline industry as a senior executive for leading airlines in North America. Under her leadership, the YVR team achieved several significant awards: Best Airport in the World by CAPA Centre for Aviation, Best Airport in North America by Skytrax for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years and one of B.C.’s Top Employers for 13 consecutive years.
YVR also received several Excellence in Governance awards from the Governance Professionals of Canada during her tenure, including Best Practices in Enterprise Risk Management (2016), Best Overall Corporate Governance (non-public entity– 2017), Best Practices in Enhancing Boardroom Diversity (2017) and Best Practices in Strategic Planning, Oversight & Value Creation by the Board (2018).
Under her leadership, YVR signed the historic 30-year Musqueam Indian Band-YVR Airport Sustainability & Friendship Agreement. This momentous agreement sets a strong precedent for how YVR honours its relationship with Indigenous Peoples and how it is committed to managing the airport for the benefit of everyone.
“On behalf of Vancouver Airport Authority, we are extremely grateful for Mary’s many contributions to our organization. Mary presided over a period of significant and unprecedented growth at the airport and played an instrumental role in the success of the organization. She embodies the values of an exemplary leader and has been a true visionary for our team. As part of our commitment to support diversity in our organization and in recognition of Mary’s excellence and dedication, we are excited to launch the Mary B. Jordan YVR Scholarship for women in business,” said Craig Richmond, president and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority.
“It’s been a privilege to serve on the board of directors and as the chair of the board at Vancouver Airport Authority,” said Jordan. “I am proud of the work our team has accomplished over the past 15 years as we have grown YVR into a world-class sustainable hub, all while providing social and economic benefits to our community. I’m so touched and honoured that the Airport Authority has created a scholarship in my name to support women in business. I look forward to YVR’s bright future and staying engaged as an alumni director.”
The annual scholarship will be awarded to a female or female-identified, full-time student studying business at a post-secondary institution in British Columbia. Each year, one recipient will receive a $20,000 scholarship for their business education. Students enrolled in a third, fourth, or fifth year of a baccalaureate business program or the first year of a master’s degree program are eligible to apply.
This year, the application intake period begins on May 15 and the successful recipient will be notified over the summer. For more information about the scholarship and submission details, visit yvr.ca/scholarships.
Vancouver Airport Authority will announce its new chair of the board in spring of 2019.
