The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors elected Earl Adams Jr. to serve as its next chairman and William Sudow to serve as vice chairman for 2020 at its meeting Wednesday. The board also re-elected Monica Hargrove as secretary to the Airports Authority. All three will serve one-year terms in office beginning in January.

Earl Adams Jr., chairman, is a partner in the litigation group of Saul Ewing Arnstein Lehr LLP (Saul Ewing). His practice focuses on representing clients before federal, state and local regulators and administrative boards and with helping clients develop transactions involving public-private partnerships. Before joining Saul Ewing, Adams served as chief of staff to former Lt. Governor Anthony Brown of Maryland and, prior to becoming a lawyer, he worked in the airline industry as a revenue management market analyst for American Airlines in Dallas. In addition to serving on the Airports Authority board, Adams serves as a director on the boards of the Bowie State University Board of Visitors and the SEED School of Maryland. He is former national president of the Boston College Law School Alumni Assembly and served on the 2008 Obama-Biden Veterans Affairs Transition team. Adams is an appointee of the governor of Maryland.

William Sudow, vice chairman, founder and partner with Sudow Kohlhagen LLP, has over 35 years of experience representing clients in complex financial transactions, focusing on the representation of regional, national and international institutions in joint ventures and other national real estate transactions and financings, architectural and construction agreements, private equity investments and general business transactions. Sudow also serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for Madison Marquette, an integrated real estate investment and operating company focused on infill retail and mixed-use real estate in major markets of the United States. Sudow is a trustee of the Federal City Council and co-chairs its transportation committee. Prior to forming Sudow Kohlhagen LLP, Sudow was head of the Washington real estate practice of Sidley Austin LLP. Earlier in his career, he served as special assistant and counsel to the House Majority Whip, Rep. John Brademas. Sudow is an appointee of the governor of Virginia.

Monica Hargrove, secretary, reports to the 17-member board of directors, carrying out its official duties and managing day-to-day operations, including serving as a liaison to Airports Authority senior management. Hargrove joined the Airports Authority in 2013 as deputy general counsel. A veteran aviation attorney, she previously served as general counsel at Airports Council International – North America and associate counsel at US Airways. Prior to that, she was a trial attorney in the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

During the meeting, Airports Authority executives and members of the board acknowledged outgoing chairman Warner Session for his contributions to the Airports Authority as chairman over the past two years.