Ricky Smith, who has headed the Maryland Aviation Administration since the early days of the Hogan administration and co-hosted a fundraiser during the fall for Gov. Wes Moore (D), said Wednesday that he anticipates running the agency for the foreseeable future.
“I expect to remain on,” Smith told Maryland Matters during a brief interview, though he declined to say whether he had spoken to the new governor or anyone else in the administration about the job. Two spokesmen for Moore did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
Smith, a veteran manager in the aviation industry whose time at the aviation administration dates back to 1989, was one of several officials who stood behind Moore at a State House news conference Tuesday when the governor announced that Paul Wiedefeld, another long-time government executive who most recently was general manager of the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority, was his nominee to become Maryland Transportation secretary. Wiedefeld himself once headed the MAA and Smith served under him for a time before becoming director of airports and CEO of the Cleveland Airport System in Ohio. He returned to Maryland when former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) took office.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Josh Kurtz over at Maryland Matters
