Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge

Executive Director
St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Location: St. Louis, MO
Founded: 1927
Industry: Aviation/Transportation

During her senior year in high school, Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge’s PE teacher told her she was a great athlete, but she only played for herself.

He warned her that if she didn’t start to help others and be a leader, she would get a B in PE. “I chose not to change and earned the only B I ever got in high school,” said Hamm-Niebruegge. “It ruined my perfect 4.0 and to this day, it was the hardest and greatest lesson I learned.”

As a result, she changed her attitude. “I not only changed my attitude and the way I treated others, but also the way I looked at life,” said Hamm Niebruegge. “It made me a better person and to this day, I look back at that report card when I need to be reminded of who I am.”

Keeping this lesson close helps Hamm-Niebruegge lead multiple teams to success as the executive director of St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the largest public airport in the state of Missouri and serves more than 16 million passengers, provides cargo shipments and is approved as one of the few airports in the country as a USDA Port of Embarkation for live animal charters.

Although Hamm-Niebruegge didn’t join the airport as the executive director until January 2010, her experience in aviation spans 37 years. She began as a front-line employee at Ozark Airlines, ultimately working her way up the ranks and as a rising star after TWA acquired the company.

At TWA, Hamm-Niebruegge served as the VP of North American operations, running 101 airport operations and overseeing 8,000 employees. In 2009, she took on the helm at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Hamm-Niebruegge believes in leading by example, which is why she serves on local and national committees, chairs the 17-member St. Louis Airport Commission and volunteers in the St. Louis area. “I have always found great pleasure in mentoring young women and I am actively involved in different mentorship programs,” she said. “I especially want to encourage women to go into aviation and think about the significant impact they can have on this industry and the opportunities that are available if they work hard and believe in themselves.”

For her unending support of her employees and the community, Hamm-Niebruegge has been named a Titan.