OREANDA-NEWS. The DFW Airport Board of Directors re-elected all three Board officers to serve another year in their respective leadership positions for 2015 at its February Board meeting. DFW Board Chair Lillie Biggins of Fort Worth was re-elected as Board Chair, giving her a second year in that role. Board Vice Chair Sam Coats of Dallas was re-elected as Vice Chair, and former DFW Board Chair Francisco Hernandez of Fort Worth was re-elected as Board Secretary.

One new Board member, Bridget M. Lopez, was also sworn in at the meeting. Ms. Lopez, managing partner with the Dallas office of the law firm Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP, was appointed by the Dallas City Council to replace Forrest Smith as a member of the Board. The Board also recognized the service of Mr. Smith, who had served on the Board since 2008.

Board Chair Lillie Biggins, B.S.N., M.S.N., is a 31-year veteran of the health care industry and is the president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Ms. Biggins joined Texas Health Fort Worth in 1997 as vice president of operations, overseeing major departments such as Emergency Services, Trauma Services and Restorative Services. She has served on the DFW Airport Board since 2005.

Board Vice Chair Sam Coats has extensive aviation experience, serving as President of Muse Air Corporation as well as having held senior management positions with Continental Airlines, Inc., Southern Cross Airlines Holdings in Australia, Southwest Airlines Company, Braniff Airways, Inc. and Texas International Airlines, Inc. Mr. Coats has also practiced law with the firm of Jenkens & Gilchrist in Dallas and has served as a member of the Texas legislature. Mr. Coats has served on the DFW Airport Board since 2012.

Board Secretary Francisco Hernandez, Jr. is a criminal law specialist and an expert in international relations and politics. In addition to running his law firm, Mr. Hernandez has also served as an associate Municipal Judge and as Chairman of the Texas Ethics Commission. Mr. Hernandez originally joined the DFW Airport Board in May 2006.

The DFW International Airport Board is comprised of 12 members, with the Dallas and Fort Worth Mayors each holding a permanent seat on the Board. The Dallas City Council appoints six members of the Board, and the Fort Worth City Council appoints three members. A single non-voting member is appointed by one of the four host cities of DFW Airport, rotating annually between the cities of Euless, Grapevine, Irving and Coppell. The current non-voting member is Grapevine city council member Darlene Freed.

DFW Airport Board Members for 2015:

Chair - Lillie Biggins

Vice Chair - Sam Coats

Secretary - Francisco Hernandez

Mayor Mike Rawlings, Dallas

Mayor Betsy Price, Fort Worth

Bridget M. Lopez

William Meadows

Regina Montoya

Curtis E. Ransom

William Tsao

Bernice J. Washington

Darlene Freed (non voting member)