As Clark County gets underway on a multibillion-dollar expansion and modernization of the seventh-busiest airport in North America, it will move forward with a new head of the Department of Aviation.

Rosemary Vassiliadis, who has overseen Harry Reid International Airport since 2013, announced Monday that she plans to retire in September as the department’s director. In a statement, the county said it was “working through the next steps to fill the director position.” It’s unclear if the county will conduct an outside search or hire from within.

In addition to Reid, Vassilidis oversees operations of the Henderson and North Las Vegas airports and two small aviation centers in Jean and Overton that support flight schools, private jet terminals and recreational activities. 

The department employs 18,000 workers, and Vassilidis is the county’s highest-paid employee, reflecting her high-profile role in managing air travel operations for the tourism-dependent region.

Vassiliadis, who previously spent 16 years as the airport’s deputy director, told staff in an email Friday afternoon that the “timing to hand over the reins is prime, with our airport system in solid condition, set up with short, medium and long term modernization, operating and strategic plans. Many of those components are already in motion.”

She added the airport was “in secure financial condition.”

Reid Airport has experienced three straight years of record-setting growth, topping out at 58.4 million passengers in 2024. However, in the first four months of 2025, passenger volume is down 3.6 percent.

That growth in travel is why, last October, Vassiliadis outlined for Clark County commissioners a multiphased project to increase the number of passenger gates at Terminal 1, improve passenger access at the 13-year-old Terminal 3 and add new parking areas and facilities for transportation services while upgrading multiple roads. 

The project, which did not disclose a budget, would be the first major expansion at Reid since the 2012 opening of the $2.4 billion Terminal 3, which took four years to complete.

According to Reid Airport Chief Aviation Marketing Officer Monika Bertaki, comprehensive plans for the project were presented to airline executives late last year and are currently with a consultant, who is putting together a timeline with priorities for the final designs and to create a construction budget.

Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson said the hiring of Vassiliadis’ replacement would be handled by Clark County Manager Kevin Schiller with the help of a consultant who would help evaluate what the airport needs. He said he is hopeful that person could be hired before Vassiliadis departs on Sept. 12.

“We don't have a large window for our purposes or a successor's purposes, depending upon where that person comes from,” Gibson said. 

As for the Terminal 1 renovation, Gibson said, “Getting the right people involved can help us understand what kinds of things can be done differently, and what kinds of design issues need to be implemented.”

He suggested that “eventually we'll probably get rid of the rotundas because the space is not utilized most efficiently with those designs. We can add a whole bunch of gates just by making everything more linear.”

In a text message, Clark County Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom said he’s not concerned about the project’s timeline because “they are laying the groundwork.” However, Segerblom said it “needs to be a priority for Rosemary’s replacement.”

Vassiliadis said in October the bulk of the project’s cost would be paid for through fees collected from airport users, including airlines, passengers and airport concessions. Revenue from the airport’s slot machines would also be directed toward the renovation. Vassiliadis said the airport has historically taken out bonds for similar projects.

“We do have a lot of capacity because we have not been bonded in years,” Vassiliadis said at the time.

Vassiliadis told commissioners the renovation and expansion plans would squeeze as much space as possible out of the landlocked airport’s existing footprint while awaiting development of the new Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in the Ivanpah Valley just north of Primm and 30 miles south of Reid. 

Ivanpah was first envisioned 24 years ago through federal legislation that allowed for the sale of 6,500 acres of federally owned land. The most recent timeline has the airport pegged for completion in 2037. 

“Under her tenure, [the airport] has not only navigated through challenges such as a global pandemic, but also incredible opportunities with mega events, conventions and tens of millions of passengers,” Schiller said in a statement.

County officials credited Vassiliadis with making enhancements at Reid, including the development of a tunnel and transportation system between Terminal 3 and D Gates and doubling the number of international gates to 14.

She also placed the airport into a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration, which designated Reid to serve as a testing ground for new screening technology before being implemented throughout airports across the nation. 

She oversaw enhancements and coordination efforts at the airport that allowed for better passenger movement during high-profile events including Super Bowl LVIII and the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

In 2021, Vassiliadis helped oversee the renaming of the airport to Reid, honoring the longest-serving U.S. senator in Nevada history.

“Our airport system is well situated to continue to serve as the front door to the mega events, conventions, sporting events, and so much more,” Vassiliadis said in a statement. 

Vassiliadis is also a member of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission and has served on boards for the American Association of Airport Executives and the U.S. Travel Association. She is completing a term on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Los Angeles Branch board of directors.

Updated at 4:40 p.m. on 6/16/2025 to include comments from Commissioner Jim Gibson.