Exit of O’Hare, Midway chief leaves crucial vacancy for city, suburbs

After nearly seven years leading the Chicago Department of Aviation, CDA Commissioner Jamie Rhee is retiring effective April 15.

The longtime city administrator guided O'Hare and Midway international airports through the pandemic, massive airport redevelopment and liaised with suburbanites on jet noise.

“Jamie’s leadership in advancing the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission’s proposed new Fly Quiet program has been phenomenal,” said Ron Hudson, Arlington Heights’ ONCC representative.

“Working to get the Federal Aviation Administration on board with the proposal was vital in getting this idea off the ground and under review/consideration by the FAA and the communities around O’Hare,” Hudson said.

“Being local for so many years, she had tremendous knowledge of the airport and Chicagoland, which will be missed. But, I am confident that the ONCC leaders and community members will be able to carry on with Jamie’s successor, as they always have,” Hudson added.

Rhee, who has served under four Chicago mayors, took over management of the nation’s second-busiest airport and Midway in summer 2018. An attorney, her previous positions included general counsel for the O’Hare Modernization Project, deputy chief of staff under Mayor Richard M. Daley and chief procurement officer.

“I am eternally grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me and am extremely proud of the work that’s been accomplished to move our city and our airports forward,” Rhee said in a statement Thursday. “I would like to thank my team at the department of aviation and my colleagues for their incredible dedication to public service.”

When Mayor Brandon Johnson took office in May 2023, he replaced a number of top city leaders but Rhee remained at CDA, handling numerous complex projects including FAA review of an overnight runway rotation and the construction of a Global Terminal to replace Terminal 2, which has raised concerns over cost from United and American Airlines.

Several Chicago news outlets reported earlier this week that Johnson was planning a city hall shake-up.

But Thursday, Johnson thanked Rhee for her “tremendous service.”

“Throughout her decades-long career, Commissioner Rhee embodied the best of public service, and she has left an indelible mark on our airports and our city,” Johnson said.

Her exit drew attention from Illinois’ senior senator who keeps a close eye on O’Hare.

Rhee was “dedicated to making O’Hare and Midway the best they could be. She saw us through the COVID-19 pandemic and major improvements at both airports, which is no easy feat,” Sen. Dick Durbin said.

Projects overseen by Rhee include modernizing O’Hare’s Terminal 5, expanding the security checkpoint at Midway, and managing the final phase of O’Hare’s shift to a parallel runway system.