The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in partnership with the Council for Airport Opportunity (CAO), Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens Community Development Corporation Inc., and Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities Inc., announced the renaming and dedication this week of the LaGuardia Career Center as the Jeffrion L. Aubry LaGuardia Career Center in honor of New York state Assemblyman Aubry’s more than three decades of public service and his commitment to ensuring that Queens residents reap the benefits of the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport.
The dedication ceremony on Tuesday was attended by numerous elected officials and community leaders, including New York State Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, who was previously Queens borough president and served on the governor’s airport advisory council that created the plan for LaGuardia’s transformation. From the outset of the project, New York state Assemblyman Aubry has been a staunch supporter of the $8 billion airport redevelopment program and of efforts to ensure that the communities that he represents near LaGuardia Airport share in the economic benefits of the project.
Since it opened in 2019, the career center has placed more than 2,700 people in jobs at LaGuardia Airport, including more than 1,700 placements for residents of Queens. LaGuardia also set a New York state record for participation by minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBE), which accounted for $2.2 billion in contracts. That record has only recently been surpassed by the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport, which has awarded more than $2.7 billion in contracts to MWBEs.
“Assemblyman Aubry has been an important partner in our work and a staunch advocate for a project that many people said could never be done – transforming LaGuardia Airport from the nation’s worst airport to what is now the nation’s best airport,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The assemblyman has also been an advocate for the people of Queens, constantly emphasizing the need to ensure that the community most impacted by the airport will also realize the opportunities a new, world-class airport can provide.”
“As a former state legislator, I recognize and appreciate the commitment and dedication to his community that Assemblyman Aubry has demonstrated throughout his career and throughout the construction of a new LaGuardia Airport,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “We have witnessed firsthand how effective the assemblyman has been in ensuring that a world-class airport becomes a gateway of opportunity for the people of Queens.”
“For over three decades, Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry dedicated himself to serving and advocating for the people of New York. I am thankful for his commitment to public service and his long-standing contributions to the betterment of this borough,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “The renaming of the LaGuardia Career Center as the Jeffrion L. Aubry LaGuardia Career Center serves as a powerful testament to Jeffrion’s legacy, ensuring that every Queens resident has the proper access to the resources and opportunities they deserve.”
“Assemblymember Aubry has had a long career fighting for all New Yorkers, especially Queens communities and our youth. His tireless efforts with Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities have contributed to making it the beloved institution it is today for our Queens families,” said New York City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan. “It is only fitting that as he ends his distinguished career that we honor his legacy and his efforts through this renaming of the LaGuardia Career Center. Those of us in office are inspired by his example and will continue fighting for our districts.”
“We celebrated an extraordinary milestone as we renamed the CAO’s LaGuardia Career Center to the Jeffrion L. Aubry Career Center,” said Andrew Campbell, executive director of Council for Airport Opportunity. “This wasn’t just a change in name — it’s a tribute to leadership, vision, and an unwavering commitment to community. Assemblymember Aubry is an extraordinary force In New York and has the track record to prove it. Now his name will be forever linked to a place where people come to build careers and shape a brighter future.”
“Assemblyman Aubry’s unwavering commitment to our community over the past 30 years has been instrumental in creating opportunities and fostering growth,” said Yoselin Genao-Estrella, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens CDC. “This dedication is a celebration of Assemblyman Aubry’s enduring legacy of service and his profound impact on our community.”
