Piedmont Airlines recognizes the best of the best as 2025 President’s Award winners
Walking into the Sullenberger Aviation Museum and seeing his name on a display screen in the gift shop among his peers of other President’s Award winners, Philadelphia Ground Safety Manager Markeese Jones stopped in his tracks – that was when the weight of the moment became real. That entrance marked the beginning of a memorable evening of recognition. What began with shaking hands, hugs and congratulatory high-fives, flowed into a formal dinner with his department leaders and his guest, followed by the reading of his 2025 accomplishments from the stage. The night culminated with Markeese walking forward to accept the Company’s highest honor from Julie Schell, Vice President of Safety and Compliance and Piedmont President and CEO Eric Morgan. “I love what I do and was blown away to be recognized with the Company’s highest award. Even standing there on stage, I didn’t feel worthy. It just reminded me how much more I want to achieve.”
Piedmont Airlines proudly honored 25 team members as the 2025 recipients of its highest recognition, the President’s Award. These individuals set the gold standard for living Piedmont’s core values of caring, compliance, communication and community and they take great pride in living out our mission every day. The Steve Farrow Award, named in honor of long‑time Piedmont CEO Steve Farrow, who was also in attendance, recognizes an exceptional team member who consistently promotes Piedmont in a positive way through outstanding performance, strong compliance, and a deep commitment to supporting fellow team members. This year’s winner will be announced at a later date, as they were unable to attend the ceremony.
Jason Smith, Aircraft Maintenance Technician Supervisor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, says that being honored with the Company’s highest award feels both humbling and surreal. “I come to work every day and do my best, and it feels good to be recognized by senior leaders with an award like this,” Smith shared. He added that the celebration was a great chance to connect with team members from across the company, and having Piedmont President and CEO Eric Morgan seated at his table made the moment even more meaningful. “Reading the congratulatory messages from current and former colleagues on my Kudoboard was a nice added touch.”
More than 180 nominations were submitted from team members across the organization. From there, Piedmont’s Leadership Team completes a rigorous evaluation of each nomination to select the top 25 achievers. Collectively, this year’s honorees represent 275 years of dedicated service.
For the second year in a row, Piedmont recognized its winners at an awards ceremony at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum, where Piedmont’s senior leaders, President and CEO Eric Morgan, and two former Presidents Lyle Hogg and Steve Farrow, celebrated their successes. The celebration included dinner and the opportunity to tour the museum, featuring the US Airways Airbus A320-200 that made an emergency water landing in the Hudson River commonly known as the ‘Miracle on the Hudson.’ All winners received a personalized trophy, personalized travel gift and $2,000.
“I am so proud of our 2025 President’s Award recipients,” Morgan said. “They exemplify the very best of who we are—living our values, elevating those around them, and setting a standard that inspires our entire organization. Their commitment to excellence fuels our success, and this award is just one way we can recognize the impact of their hard work and dedication to our mission.”
Jones reflects back on the event, “I never imagined I’d work in the aviation industry after a career in law enforcement, but the love and sense of belonging I felt that night reminded me I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”