By Chicago Times Magazine –
February 13, 2025
Jamie Rhee, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), announced her retirement today, effective April 15, 2025. Appointed in 2018, Rhee has overseen significant transformations at both O’Hare and Midway International Airports.
“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,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Her work has improved the travel experience for hundreds of millions of visitors that will be felt for generations to come. Her unwavering commitment to diverse businesses of all types and sizes has opened countless doors for Chicagoans who have been shut out for far too long. I want to thank Commissioner Rhee for her tremendous service to our city and our people.”
Rhee’s retirement announcement comes as Mayor Johnson has indicated a desire to reshape the city’s workforce. In comments made to a church audience, Johnson stated his intention to replace staff members deemed disloyal to his administration, raising questions about the future of other city officials appointed by his predecessor. While praising Rhee’s service, the Mayor’s comments suggest a potential shift in leadership across various city departments. It remains unclear how widespread these changes will be and what impact they will have on city operations.
Under Commissioner Rhee’s leadership, Chicago’s airports surpassed a milestone of over 100 million passengers in 2024. Commissioner Rhee has been instrumental in several transformative projects, including the modernization of Terminal 5, which added 350,000 square feet, ten new gates accommodating various aircraft sizes, and a new parking facility. At Midway International Airport, the new security checkpoint’s capacity doubled, increasing passenger throughput from 2,500 to 5,000 per hour. Commissioner Rhee also oversaw the completion of the Midway Modernization Program, which included a $75 million investment in concessions redevelopment and boasts one of the nation’s highest Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) participation rates. Furthermore, Rhee managed the reconfiguration of O’Hare’s airfield from an intersecting to a parallel (east-west) runway system. This significant change modernized the airport, reduced system impact delays by 66%, and generated tens of thousands of jobs. Finally, Commissioner Rhee secured $90 million in discretionary federal funding for Terminal 3 improvements and $20 million for Terminal 5.
Rhee’s aviation career began as a Customer Service Foreign Language Assistant at O’Hare while she earned her law degree. She held roles in the City’s Planning and Development and Law Departments before returning to the CDA as General Counsel for the O’Hare Modernization Program. She also served as 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,” said CDA Commissioner Rhee. “I would like to thank my team at the Department of Aviation and my colleagues for their incredible dedication to public service.”
