Teresa Damiano steps down at Raleigh-Durham International Airport

THIS IS THE COMPANY'S SECOND

STORE IN CARY.

>>> FOR MANY PEOPLE, RDU IS

THEIR FIRST TASTE OF THE

TRIANGLE.

THERE'S A WOMAN AT THE AIRPORT

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT

THEY EXPERIENCE.

SHE IS RETIRING THIS WEEK,

WRAL'S RYAN SCHRAEDER TALKED

WITH HER ABOUT HOW THE AIRPORT

GREW UP WITH THE TRIANGLE.

>> Reporter: WE WENT BACK INTO

THE ARCHIVES TO SHOW YOU WHAT

RDU LOOKED LIKE 30 YEARS AGO.

THIS IS GUY 5 VIDEO OF THE OLD

AMERICAN AIRLINES HUB.

IT OPENED IN 1987.

THE SAME YEAR THAT TERESA

BECAME THE FIRST PUBLIC AFFAIRS

REPRESENTATIVE.

>> IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO

HAVE AN IMPACT, GOOD

OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE

DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRPORT.

>> Reporter: FOR YEARS SHE WAS

THE AIRPORT THE MAIN

SPOKESPERSON.

IN 1994, SHE BECAME THE CHIEF

AIRLINE RECRUITER.

THAT MAY BE HER GREATEST

LEGACY.

SHE HELPS AND SERVICE TO

LONDON, SAN FRANCISCO AND OTHER

CITIES AS THE TRIANGLE CREW.

>> IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

TO BE PART OF AN ADVOCATE FOR

NOT JUST THE AIRPORT FOR THE

COMMUNITY AND PLAY MATCHMAKER.

>> Reporter: SHE RECORDED NEW

CARRIERS LIKE SOUTHWEST AND

JETBLUE.

AND HER COLLEAGUES SAY SHE

HELPED IMPROVE THE AIRPORT'S

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PUBLIC

ARTS PROGRAMS.

>> EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK IN THE

TERMINAL THERE IS LEGACY TO

TERESA IN WHICH HE HAS MEANT TO

US IN THE REGION.

>> Reporter: IN HER FINAL

WEEKS, SHE WAS ON THE AIRPLANE

AS DELTA LAUNCHED ITS NEW

SERVICE TO PARIS.

IT WAS ONE MORE VICTORY IN HER

FIGHT TO KEEP RDU CLIMBING.

SHE SAYS IT'S TIME TO STEP DOWN

AND ENJOY THE AIRPORT AS A

PASSENGER AND LOOKS BACK AT HER

ROLE IN THE SUCCESS OF RDU.

>> VERY PROUD, PROUD OF WHAT WE

WORKED TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO

BUILD.

IT WAS SATISFYING.

>> Reporter: RYAN SCHRAEDER,

RDU INTERNATIONAL.

>>> THE AIRPORT IS HAVING TWO

PUBLIC WORKSHOPS NEXT WEEK TO

TALK ABOUT THE LONG-RANGE

PLANS.

WE HAVE DETAILS ON THE STORY ON