Massport names Freni as aviation director

The Massachusetts Port Authority board today unanimously picked three current Massport executives for top positions, including Logan International Airport manager.

Edward C. Freni, who has been acting director of aviation and Logan chief since August, was hired to hold the position permanently. Freni -- pronounced FREN-ee -- was named acting aviation director when Thomas J. Kinton Jr., a 30-year Massport executive, was chosen as executive director and chief executive to replace Craig P. Coy, who left for a private-sector homeland security job.

In lieu of replacing former community relations and communications chief Carole Brennan, who stepped down in August, Massport's board opted to promote two current executives to new positions that encompass Brennan's responsibilities.

Danny Levy, who had been acting director of external affairs and communications, was named to the new position of director of strategic communications and marketing. Thomas J. Butler, acting director of external, government, and community affairs, was named director of external affairs.

Massport board member Paul D. Foster said the authority brought in a nationwide aviation executive recruiting firm and considered 25 candidates from around the country for Freni's job, narrowing the field down to Freni and two non-Massport executives. Freni has been with Massport since 2000, following a 23-year career with American Airlines.

"Ed was brought in from the outside by me,'' said Kinton, for whom Freni served as a top aide and operations chief when Kinton was aviation director running Logan. "I view him as an external person who put in over 20 years with the airlines.''

Kinton said in considering two candidates with equal skills, as a rule he'd favor someone with operating experience inside Massport.

"Local knowledge carries a lot of weight,'' Kinton said. "There's not a huge learning curve. That's worth something. It doesn't mean we'd never go external" in filling other positions, however, Kinton added.

Currently, Massport is seeking a permanent chief financial officer, a chief of staff for Kinton, and a second-in-command at the port of Boston serving Port Director Michael Leone.

Brian McMorrow is currently acting chief financial officer following the departure of previous Massport CFO Leslie A. Kirwan to serve in Governor Deval L. Patrick's administration as secretary of administration and finance.

Freni said he will bring "a similar philosophy" to operating Logan as Kinton did, listing security, customer service, and technological improvement as three top concerns.

"We'll be looking for ways to make the traveling experience easier and much more convenient and considerate,'' Freni said. Other key issues for him will involve allocating gate space at airport terminals, including finding space for fast-growing AirTran Airways and trying to find a tenant to fill the half-used $500 million Delta Air Lines Inc. Terminal A.

(By Peter J. Howe, Globe staff)