An Interview with Jamie Rhee, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation

Jamie Rhee has always had an aptitude for languages and culture. After completing her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University, she landed her first job as an Airport Information Representative. Giving information to travelers from around the world was the perfect job for Rhee, who went to law school at DePaul University at night. In the time since, Rhee has held positions in various city departments, including Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Daley. Now, after 10 years as the city’s Chief Procurement Officer, Rhee has made her way back to the Department of Aviation, this time, as its Commissioner. “Once you get that jet fuel in your blood, it’s hard to get rid of it,” she laughs. 

Commissioner Rhee manages Chicago’s airport system, an international hub that served over 100 million passengers a year before the COVID crisis. In her role, Rhee is overseeing O’Hare 21, an $8.5 billion expansion and renovation project, the largest in the airport’s history. The multi-billion-dollar investment in O’Hare’s infrastructure is expected to create nearly 60,000 construction jobs, as well as thousands of permanent jobs at the airport. And Rhee has made it one of her top priorities to make sure women and minority-owned businesses have equal access to the opportunities O’Hare 21 creates. “It’s important to get these projects built, but it’s equally important to look at who’s benefitting from them,” Rhee says. Commissioner Rhee spoke with us about her vision for the project and how she’s trying to ensure that more businesses get a slice of the $8.5 billion pie.  

As the city’s Chief Procurement Officer, you worked to ensure equal access to city contracts, particularly for women and minority-owned businesses. Now you’re bringing that same effort to O’Hare 21. Why is this so important to you? 

When I took over procurement in 2009, I was appalled at the reputation Chicago had for contracts. The impression was that everything was rigged and that you had to know someone to get a contract. I quickly learned that the real problem was people left out of the bidding process because of the way the system was set up. The big companies knew the process because they held the contracts and knew when they expired. 

So for the first several years, we focused on educating people and making sure they had access to the information they needed to bid on our projects. We put everything online and developed the city’s first buying guide. It was an 18-month forecast which allowed businesses to see upcoming opportunities and have time to prepare their bid. We carved out projects that allowed smaller businesses to compete on a level playing field. And we implemented bid incentives to encourage hiring from populations that were being left out. We came up with so many different programs that we wrote a book, Chicago’s Guide to Bid Incentives. 

I brought that same philosophy with me to the Department of Aviation. I started by writing a book on how to do business with the department. We opened a bidding resource room in our building for small businesses to come in and ask for help. This stuff really matters right now. We have to get these contracts awarded, and we have to make sure we have protections for our small businesses. 

Has the COVID crisis impacted your ability to implement your plans for the project? 

The pandemic has turned our world upside down, but there have been pros and cons. I loved being able to do in-person training events. But we’ve moved things online, which has allowed more people to participate. 

I’m also proud that we were able to use some of the CARES Act money from the federal government to provide a relief package to the airport concessionaires, many of whom are small minority and women-owned businesses. When the airport traffic went down, they were hit immediately. 

How can small businesses stay connected to your department to find out when opportunities become available? 

They should be looking at our buying plan to see how they want to participate. Flychicago.com will show you all of the projects and bid opportunities on the horizon, as well as upcoming trainings and webinars. Sign up for a webinar. Then get into the prequalification stage of the bidding process so you can start submitting. There is room for everyone who wants to be involved, and not just in construction. There are opportunities in technology, professional services, landscaping, you name it. This is a very small business-friendly department. It’s our bread and butter.

How has your message of inclusion been received? 

Mayor Lightfoot has made it easy for me to do my job because she’s always been encouraging. She has experience in procurement, so she understands what a catalyst these kinds of projects can be for Chicago businesses and workforce development. The program is just getting started, but the benefits are going to be throughout all 50 wards.

Do you get push back from people who don’t want things to change? 

They’re probably out there, but they don’t say anything to me. I think they know that the status quo is not even an option. They know we’re only moving one way, and that’s forward.

What does work/life balance look like for you? 

My husband and I are fostering a little girl who is 5-years-old, and we’re in the process of adoption. She keeps us very young. Spending time with my family is something I look forward to at the end of the day.