Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Farad Ali

Chairman, City of Durham

Farad Ali worked more than 20 years as a banker and consultant in the private and non-profit sector. He is currently president & CEO of The Institute. Previously Farad Ali was a representative on Durham City Council. He has served on numerous local boards and advisory committees including the Triangle United Way Board of Directors, John Avery Boys and Girls Club, Triangle YMCA Board of Directors and Duke University Hospital System Chancellor’s Community Board of Advisors. Farad earned his B.S. in Finance from the School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned his M.B.A. from Campbell University.

John Kane

Vice Chairman, Wake County

John Kane is the Chairman and CEO of Kane Realty Corporation, a Raleigh development company most noted for the redevelopment of the North Hills area. John has received numerous accolades, including being named to the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2017, The News & Observer’s 2016 Tar Heel of the Year, the Urban Land Institute Triangle’s 2015 J.W. Willie York Community Builder Award and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau’s 2010 Thad Eure Jr. Memorial Award. John graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.S. in Business Administration. He serves on the board He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, Chief Executives Organization and World Presidents’ Organization. John serves on the Economic Development Board of the NC Board, Duke Heart Center, Chairman of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, NC Chamber, Chairman of the Duke Raleigh Hospital Advisory Board and a Board member of Duke University Health System.

Patrick Hannah, Esq.

Secretary, Durham County

Patrick Hannah has more than 25 years of combined experience in government affairs and finance industries. He is the Assistant Vice President and Legislative Counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance. He is the former Chairman of the Durham Area Transit Authority. Patrick earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Morehouse College and a Juris Doctor from the N.C. Central University School of Law. He is also a member of the New Jersey Bar.

Richard (Dickie) Thompson

City of Raleigh

Richard (Dickie) Thompson has been with J.M. Thompson Company for 30 years. During his time with JMT, Dickie has served as project executive/project manager on numerous projects throughout the state of North Carolina. In his current role as executive vice president and project manager/executive, Thompson serves as the senior liaison between the field and the office. He graduated from N.C. State University with a degree in Civil Engineering.

Robert D. Teer, Jr.

City of Durham

Robb Teer Jr. worked for the Nello L. Teer Company, a transportation construction company, in Durham from 1967-1980. He was president of Teer Enterprises, a family real estate development company, from 1980-1985. In 1986 he started Teer Associates, which continued his career in construction and real estate development. For 28 years, Teer was in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring in 1994 as a lieutenant colonel. He helped start and organize the USO at RDU. Robb earned a B.S. in Business Administration from East Carolina University

David Morgan

County of Durham

David Morgan has 35 years of experience working in information technology roles for industries as wide-ranging as automotive and banking to professional sports and restaurants. He is currently a senior account executive on the global data sales team at SAS. He has held volunteer roles with the City of Charlotte in both parks and recreation and as a privatization committee member as well as with several faith-based organizations. David holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University and a M.B.A in Marketing and Finance from DePaul State University.

Sepideh Saidi

City of Raleigh

Sepideh Saidi is an accomplished civil engineer with more than 30 years of experience who founded SEPI Engineering in 2001. She has received numerous awards including the Triangle Business Journal’s Top 20 CEO’s of the year in 2015. She was recently appointed to the N.C. State Banking Commission and also serves on the boards of the N.C. Chamber of Commerce, WakeEd Partnership and as the chair of the of programs committee of the Emerging Issues Institute. Sepideh holds both a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from N.C. State University. She is a registered engineer in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland and Florida.

David Kushner

Wake County

David Kushner has more than 20 years of experience in media and communications law, focusing on broadcasting, media policy, First Amendment issues and defamation. He is a Partner at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP in Raleigh. A Morehead Scholar, David earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Ph.D. from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor from Duke University. His bar and court admissions include North Carolina, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 2^nd, 4^th, 7^th, 11^th and D.C. Circuits.