Delta Names Tad Hutcheson Vice President - Community and Public Affairs

Executive returns to Delta to boost carrier's leadership position in the communities it serves

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Nov 29, 2011, 09:00 ET

ATLANTA, Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today named Tad Hutcheson vice president – Community and Public Affairs, where he will oversee the airline's global strategy to enhance its leadership position in the communities it serves.

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Prior to joining Delta, Hutcheson served as vice president of Marketing and Sales for AirTran Airways. He had worked for Delta's planning and marketing departments prior to leaving the company in 1995.

"Tad is well known for his track record in community engagement, and he brings a wealth of experience to Delta," said Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice president – Marketing. "We're excited to have Tad returning to Delta for this vital community leadership position."

Hutcheson, 44, will report to Mapes. An airline industry veteran, Hutcheson served as director of strategic planning and, later, vice president of marketing for KIWI International Air Lines prior to joining AirTran.

A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a current resident of Atlanta, Hutcheson is deeply involved in the community. He currently serves on the boards of the Atlanta Business League, Atlanta Police Foundation, Atlanta Sports Council, Junior Achievement of Georgia, Leadership Atlanta, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Central Atlanta Progress, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and he is a member of the Downtown Atlanta Rotary Club.

Delta is currently celebrating its 70th year as Atlanta's hometown airline.

Hutcheson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from King College, and a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University. He also completed international marketing studies at St. Peter's College, Oxford University, and the International Business Institute in Europe.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 335 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.