Member Spotlight: An Interview with Desmond Alufohai
by Lynare Robbins
Global Ties Miami is delighted to feature Desmond Alufohai, a longtime community partner and former board member of the organization.
Desmond is a Nigerian-American who was born in the Edo State of Nigeria, which is the historical home of the ancient Benin Empire. He attended the University of Benin, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, and later emigrated to Massachusetts in 1985, where he attended Anna Maria College and earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Afterwards he relocated to Miami where he currently lives and serves as the Division Director of Protocol and International Affairs of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD), an agency of the Miami-Dade County government that manages airports. MDAD operates Miami International Airport (MIA), and four general aviation airports: Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPH), Miami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport (X51) and Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT).
The Office of Protocol and International Affairs Division was created in 1988 to facilitate the movement of diplomats and dignitaries through MIA. It is one of the first airports in the United States and one of the few major airports in the world to offer a full array of services specifically tailored to the needs of traveling diplomats, government officials, delegations, dignitaries, official guests and VIPs. As such, MIA operates a Consular Lounge for visiting dignitaries. “My division’s mission is congruent with MIA’s Vision Statement — to grow from a recognized hemispheric hub to a global airport of choice that offers customers a world-class experience and an expanded route network with direct passenger and cargo access to all world regions.” Desmond described any given day on the job as being diverse and invigorating work. “We provide protocol expedite service for departures, arrivals, and transit, including research and country background information, and oversee the Consular Lounge and the international outdoor flag display.” He added that his division assists with translations services and provides visiting delegations with tours of the airport’s facilities.
While Desmond says that the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed MIA’s protocol services and activities in 2020, he emphasizes that under the leadership of the Miami-Dade County Mayor, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, MDAD’s Director & CEO, Lester Sola, the executive team and staff, that MIA has continued to be a leading global gateway throughout the pandemic and remains committed to serving its local community and passengers from around the world with industry best practices and guidelines. “To that effect, MDAD has been adapting airport operations to continue safeguarding our passengers, visitors, and employees. So, rest assured that your health and safety remain our highest priority.” He adds that in addition to the safety precautions that have been made, travelers are urged to follow prevailing local, state and federal public health mandates.
In terms of new developments at the airport, Desmond shares the fact that in June 2019 the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners adopted a new capital improvement program at MIA that will fund up to $5 billion in airport-wide modernization projects over the next 5 to 15 years, paving the way for future growth in passenger and cargo traffic at MIA. The projected reach is estimated to be 77 million travelers and more than 4 million tons of freight by the year 2040. According to Desmond, these types of modernization projects and technological advances are transforming industries like aviation. “We are already witnessing the gradual transformation in the aviation industry, particularly in digital transformation — such as facial recognition and numerous artificial intelligence (AI) applications.”
In addition to modernization projects and technological advancements, collaboration is also key to planning for the aviation industries future. Desmond says the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of partnership and collaboration. “We can no longer be thought of as a citizen of one country, we are now citizens of one planet. And as our world becomes more intimate in new and challenging ways, cultural understanding has never been more important. World leaders should work collaboratively to combat many of the global problems.” His office coordinates with local, state and federal partners, as well as the global aviation community. “No man is an island onto himself. As the saying goes, it always a takes a village.” In a previous role at Junior Chamber International (JCI), Desmond was a liaison to UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union (AU). He says his experience in fostering inter-agency cooperation was invaluable and instrumental to laying the groundwork for a deep awareness of inter-cultural understanding, diplomacy, and protocol. “In November 2019, I graduated from the Protocol School of Washington ® (PSOW). We learned about the tools of protocol, inter-cultural understanding and international diplomacy. Most importantly, I left with the knowledge that as modern technology and an expanding global marketplace bring people of different cultures together more than any point in history, human connectivity is at a tipping point.”
On the importance of programs like the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Desmond says that they are more important than ever. “Each year nearly 5,000 exchange participants come to the U.S. on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). More than 200,000 International Visitors have engaged with Americans through the IVLP, including more than 500 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government. In my view this equates to cultural understanding, cultural awareness, and world peace!”
When asked if he had anything else to share with readers, Desmond added, “Kudos to Ms. Annette and her staff for their many of years of service and for fostering international cooperation, economic opportunities, tourism, education, and cultural linkages!”
