The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors voted to approve the selection of Felice C. Smith as the Airports Authority’s vice president and secretary at a special meeting Wednesday. The board’s action will become effective on March 10. 

Smith joined the Airports Authority in February 2019 as associate general counsel. She served as the Authority’s ethics officer, a position responsible for fostering the highest ethical standards for directors and employees.

In her new role, Smith will report 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 top management. Monica Hargrove, who has served as vice president and secretary since 2016, is retiring from the Airports Authority and will assist Smith in transitioning to her new role.

During the special board meeting, Airports Authority Chairman Thorn Pozen congratulated Smith on her election and thanked Hargrove for serving and remaining during the transition.

“Felice Smith has significant experience working with the Airports Authority, its staff and the board working on aviation issues and legal issues throughout her career,” Pozen said. “In addition, I want to thank Monica for her years of dedicated service to the board, as well as her service prior to that to the Airports Authority staff.”  

Prior to working for the Airports Authority, Smith was deputy chief ethics officer for the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Her public service also included roles as an assistant general counsel at the Library of Congress and as special assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and a law degree from Howard University.

To address the vacancy when Smith leaves her current role, the board also approved the selection of Bruce Heppen, an Airports Authority associate general counsel, to serve as acting ethics officer until a permanent selection can be made.