Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced Friday that Keith Brune will become acting CEO of the Division of Aviation following the departure of Rochelle “Chellie” Cameron.
Brune will oversee the Philadelphia International Airport and the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) while the city conducts a nationwide search to find a permanent successor for Cameron, who will become the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Her last day with the city will be June 24, 2022.
“I want to thank Chellie Cameron for her service to the City of Philadelphia and for her leadership in helping transform Philadelphia International Airport into a major economic driver for the city and region, helping to support thousands of jobs,” Kenney said. “I am especially grateful for her critical contributions as a national leader in the travel and tourism industry, a consummate convener, and a strategic problem-solver, especially over the last two years when the pandemic wreaked havoc over the travel industry.”
Brune has been COO of the Aviation Division since October 2017 and currently oversees the day-to-day operations of PHL and PNE. He joined the division in 1991 as an airport operations officer and has held various positions since then, including Airport Operations Superintendent, Acting Facilities Manager, and Deputy Director of Aviation, Operations, and Facilities.
Cameron began her tenure at PHL in 2011 as the Deputy Director of Aviation, Finance, and Administration. She moved up to Chief Operating Officer in 2014 and was named CEO in 2016. As CEO, she was responsible for overseeing the planning, development, and administration of all activities for the City’s Division of Aviation. She was Philadelphia’s representative in local, state, national, and international aviation affairs.
“It has been an honor to be a member of the City of Philadelphia’s Division of Aviation for the past 11 years. I want to thank Mayor Kenney for giving me the privilege of serving as the airport’s CEO,” Cameron said. “I am incredibly proud of our accomplishments, especially over the past two years as a global pandemic devastated the aviation industry.”