PHOENIX (May 14, 2025) – AzAA awarded the Airport Executive of the Year, Corporate Member of the Year, and the President’s Award at its annual spring conference held in Pinetop-Lakeside at the end of April. The recipients included Mr. Ryan Reeves, Airport Executive of the Year and President’s Award, Ms. Desirae Barquin, CAE, President’s Award, and Mr. Matt Quick, Corporate Member of the Year. Each honoree has made lasting positive impacts on airports in Arizona and within the organization, and AzAA recognizes their outstanding contributions.
Mr. Ryan Reeves, currently serves as the Airport Manager at Chandler Municipal Airport (KCHD). Prior to becoming the Airport Manager, Mr. Reeves was the Airport Business Coordinator for CHD. He joined the City of Chandler in 2019 and transitioned to the Airport Manager role in 2021. Mr. Reeves was also the former Airport Coordinator for Buckeye Municipal Airport (KBXK) from 2017-2019 and the General Manager of Lux Air Center at Goodyear Airport from 2007-2017. Mr. Reeves also served on the AzAA Board of Directors from 2018 – 2021, serving as its President during the 2020/21 term. Mr. Reeves has exemplified leadership, expertise, and commitment in the aviation industry in Arizona, making him a well-deserving recipient of this year’s Executive of the Year and President’s Award. As noted in his nomination, Mr. Reeves “is tremendously passionate about aviation… He takes a proactive stance and is always looking for ways to move the industry forward.” Additionally, “From valuable context brought from deep historical aviation knowledge to the foremost federal issues facing airports… Mr. Reeves has demonstrated his vast breadth of knowledge on aviation issues.” Mr. Reeves is also committed to continuously learning, demonstrating his deep investment to advocate and innovate for aviation and airports in the state of Arizona.
In addition to Mr. Reeves, Immediate Past President David Reffner also bestowed a second President’s Award to Ms. Desirae Barquin, CAE. Ms. Barquin, CAE, is the Director of Operations at KCA, a Phoenix-based Association, Meeting, and Event Management firm, and currently serves as AzAA’s Administrative Director. She has been a part of the association management industry since 2014, where she also began her affiliation with AzAA. Ms. Barquin holds degrees in Supply Chain Management and Business Tourism from Arizona State University – W.P. Carey School of Business, as well as holding a Certificate of Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership and Management through the Society for Nonprofits and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) through the American Society of Association Executives. Her role within AzAA is imperative in upholding the professional role and responsibility of the organization’s function within the Arizona aviation industry. Ms. Barquin oversees and manages all day-to-day operations of the organization including the Board of Directors, the budget, special events and conferences, and numerous other administrative tasks. As noted by her firm, and with strong concurrence from all AzAA members, “Her work is the kind that holds everything together. The kind you feel in the trust she builds, the problems she solves, and the stability she brings.” Ms. Barquin’s hard work, dedication, and leadership skills make her an invaluable asset to the AzAA organization and its membership and a well-deserving recipient of the President’s Award.
Mr. Matt Quick currently serves as Vice President and Principal with Coffman Associates, a specialized aviation planning and environmental firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and Kansas City, Kansas. Mr. Quick has over 20 years of experience in airports and aviation, beginning as a pilot and an airport manager for a general aviation airport. During his tenure at Coffman Associates, he has spent 18+ years as an airport planner/project manager, until transitioning to Principal and Vice President in recent years. During this time, he has personally provided planning and industry expertise to over 20+ airports in the state of Arizona. He has served as his firm’s Corporate Member representative since 2019, in which he has provided steady leadership to the Corporate membership, as well as to the organization as a whole. Mr. Quick was recognized by Airport Businessmagazine as 2016’s “Top 40 Under 40” for his contributions to the aviation industry. Aside from his technical expertise and leadership in the Arizona airport industry, Mr. Quick “makes time for conversations about airports and [the aviation planning] profession with young professionals. He is an advocate for bringing up the next generation of aviation professionals in the industry,” as stated in his nomination.
The AzAA Board of Directors would like to congratulate each deserving recipient of this year’s Excellence Awards, and for their dedicated service to AzAA and aviation in the state of Arizona.
