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In her urban and regional planning course, Margarita Potapova ’20, MPA ’22, was tasked with reimagining the site of the former Johnson City High School, a blighted property slated for transformation into apartments.

The assignment sparked her passion for urban planning, providing an “aha” moment pointing toward a career path.

With the desire to make meaningful impact, she serves as landside contract manager at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, N.Y.

“My primary focus is resource management, ensuring we have enough parking space and strategically deploying support staff to meet demand,” Potapova says. “It’s a lot to juggle, but that’s what makes it exciting.”

With a passenger volume that averages nearly 175,000 per day, the job is challenging under normal conditions. The airport’s current $19 billion redevelopment project adds another layer of complexity.

“With new terminals, improved ground transportation and expanded taxiways and gate capacity, the entire landscape is in constant flux,” Potapova says. “I work with landside staff and contractors to predict and control parking usage. The parking landscape changes almost weekly — affecting capacity and where passengers park. It’s not just predicting where they park, but also managing their behavior.”

Potapova says it’s exciting to see the results of her work.

“I get to step into the field and witness firsthand how projects I’ve worked on are impacting the way people move through our spaces. There’s a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that the work I do today will help shape the future of the airport for years to come.”