Acting Director of Aviation Manny Manriquez

Manny Manriquez serves as Acting Director at the City of Albuquerque’s Aviation Department, which operates the Albuquerque International Sunport and Double Eagle II (a general aviation/reliever airport). In this role, Manny directs the core operations and development efforts of the department, including the ongoing Dream of Flight: Sunport Reimagined renovation project.

Manny grew up in Oakland, CA and Albuquerque, where he attended Harrison Middle School and Rio Grande High School. He earned his B.A. in political science and Asian Studies at UC Berkeley (2008) and his M.A. in International Affairs at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (2012). For the last 20 years, Manny’s academic and professional careers have focused on various policy issues—especially global commerce, next-generation mobility, emerging technology, and national security.

After graduate school, Manny worked in Washington, D.C. for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Nonproliferation and International Security, supporting former Soviet Union weapons scientists’ peaceful R&D projects and developing protocols for information security. He then worked at the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association’s (JAMA) D.C. office for 9 years, first as Director of Government and Public Affairs, then as the office’s General Director and JAMA’s chief representative in the U.S.

Manny joined the City of Albuquerque in late March 2022. He’s a long-time, old-school country, folk, rock’n’roll, and heavy metal guitar player and vocalist. He also enjoys mountain biking and exploring the wide-open spaces of New Mexico.