Sarasota EDC awards SRQ airport chief its highest honor

Last week’s Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County’s 2024 annual meeting at The Ora in Sarasota was a celebration of the organization's accomplishments over the past year. 

It was also a double celebration of sorts for Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo, who was surprised with organization’s top honor, the Clyde Nixon Leadership Award.

In introducing the award at the Sept. 12 event, Sean Bagan, interim president and CEO of award sponsor Helios Technologies, traced Piccolo’s 53-year career in airport operations, beginning in 1970 as a janitor at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Following a military stint, he returned to the aviation industry with a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo and began climbing the boarding stairs of airport administration.