PHX Reporter

Jay DeWitt, a 28-year veteran staff member with the City of Phoenix, has been named assistant director/chief development officer of the City of Phoenix Aviation Department, the City announced in a recent news release.

DeWitt will help manage the Aviation Department, which owns and operates Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix Deer Valley Airport and Phoenix Goodyear Airport; the release said. He will run that department's Planning and Environmental, Design and Construction Services, and Financial Management divisions.

“We are fortune to have Jay on the Executive Team at the City of Phoenix Aviation Department," Mario Paniagua, deputy City manager, said in the release. “With Phoenix Sky Harbor among the top ten U.S. Airports for passenger traffic, Jay's leadership will be essential in ensuring we continue to offer our millions of customers a world class airport experience.”

A Phoenix native, DeWitt’s career has taken him through the municipal court system, the Fire Department, Development Services, Community and Economic Development, and for the past 15 years he has worked within the Aviation Department. 

DeWitt led the planning, financing and design process of the 1,000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, as well as the development of the $1.6 billion PHX Sky Train project, the release said.

“Jay has led some of the highest profile construction projects in the city of Phoenix and most recently, was essential in helping to lead Sky Harbor through the COVID-19 pandemic, the most difficult financial period in the history of aviation," Chad Makovsky, director of Aviation Services, said in the release. “After a national search, I am confident that he is the Chief Development Officer we need for the continued growth and success of the Phoenix Airport System." 

DeWitt previously held senior positions at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Planning, Design and Construction, Business, and Properties. He has been the acting assistant aviation director since August 2021. 

DeWitt is a graduate of Arizona State University and is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives, the release said.