THE BASICS
Name: Paul Hoback
Title: President and CEO
Company, city: Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport; Sarasota, Florida
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I remember wanting to be a baseball player and, once I saw Top Gun, a pilot.
Fun fact about yourself: I tried out for three professional baseball teams: Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins.
If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and why? To visit my wife in Pittsburgh! When I accepted the role at SRQ in October 2025, as a teacher she didn’t want to leave her students in the middle of the school year. She’ll relocate to Florida soon.

A LITTLE BIT MORE
What two nonessential items would you want if you were on a deserted island?
My own pillow. That comfort item would be important. Also, thinking about entertainment, I would definitely want to have a book collection.

What person or experience most influenced your choice of career?
Aside from Tom Cruise as Maverick in Top Gun? But seriously, the person who influenced my career choice the most is my mom. My dad was an engineer, so he’s the reason I became an engineer, but my mom gave me a love of history, learning and adventure. She taught me to be a strong leader.

What is your favorite song, and/or who is your favorite musician/band?
Since starting my new position, I love every minute of Yacht Rock Radio. Otherwise, my musical interests are diverse, spanning decades and genres.

If you had a time machine, would you travel to the future or back to the past? Why?
The future, so I can learn where society is and set my family up to do better.

THE BUSINESS
How would you describe your leadership style?
I am a servant leader. The most important part of my role is to make sure every person feels as cared for and supported as possible. I aim for every team member to love their job.

What predictions do you have for the travel industry over the next year?
We’re seeing some of it happen already. Whether it’s reality versus perception, current world events seem to drive a return to more local travel: more driving, national parks, beaches and domestic flights.

What is your or your team’s proudest professional achievement?
I spent nearly 25 years at Pittsburgh International Airport. For 12 years I led the development and implementation of the master plan for the complete transformation of the airport, completed one month after my departure. I’m so proud of the culmination of that work. In my new role, I’m continually impressed by the airport team’s ability to handle extreme, rapid growth. In 2018 we served 1.2 million passengers; in 2025, that number jumped to 4.5 million. SRQ is the friendliest airport I’ve traveled through, and everyone here feels like family.

What project are you currently working on?
We’re working on several major initiatives, including a multimodal facility — a parking garage and rental car center — along with many other projects. I’m especially focused on what’s ahead. Our region is ideal for testing advanced air mobility options like flying taxis. With local traffic patterns and our many keys, we’re in early planning stages with regional partners to bring some of these concepts to life.

AS A TRAVELER
What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned about customer service? Sadly, it was one of the worst days of my life. In 2002 my wife and I were at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World with my in-laws when we came out of an attraction and my father-in-law suddenly passed away. While some entities didn’t assist at all, the low- cost carrier I rebooked us on and the airport treated us well during a truly tough time. They gave us privacy and made sure we were taken care of. Airports can make a difference, and sometimes the best customer service comes from the least expected places.

What’s the first vacation you can remember taking? When I was 7 years old, my family went West. I distinctly remember Cody, Wyoming, staying at Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel & Restaurant and going to the night rodeo. My parents entered me in a stick horse racing competition, and I won!

What are your travel pet peeves? Not a lot bothers me, but I do prefer an aisle seat.

Share your favorite travel experience: My family had an incredible time in Paris taking in everything. I convinced them to take a daytrip to Normandy, and it was emotional to stand on those beaches and visit the American Cemetery. I still have sand from the beach on my desk.