Leisure

FACES & PLACES : DAY IN THE LIFE OF …day in the life of…Mario RodriguezWRITTEN BY Cheryl ScottPhotographed by Hartono TaiGetting Long Beach Airport Director MarioRodriguez out of the Crescent City and into theInternational City was no easy task, but LongBeach made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.“I was so impressed with City Manager PatWest and everyone I met during the interviewprocess, and I was so excited by the vitalityof the community that I wanted to be a part ofit,” Rodriguez said. “Long Beach is a boutiqueairport that is gearing up for the future. That’sexactly what I had been looking for.”Rodriguez has been at Long Beach Airportfor just over a year now, and is enthusiasticabout his future in the city and his plans forimproving travel.The son of Cuban immigrants, Rodriguezfell in love with aviation as a child standingby the runway of Miami International Airportwith his father. “I can’t remember when Iwasn’t fascinated with aviation — with flying,”Rodriguez said. “And I was fascinated by thecomplex nature of managing an airport. It isthe only thing I ever wanted to do.”Earning a degree in civil engineering from theUniversity of Miami in 1987, he quickly becameinvolved in the world of aviation, becomingan internationally known consultant to majorairports.His most recent post was Louis ArmstrongInternational Airport in New Orleans. “I don’tmiss it as much as I thought I would,” he said.“It’s a truly unique city, but so is Long Beach.52JUNE 2010 TRAVEL & LEISURE