Curtis Robinhold ’03 Featured in Time 100 Climate List
Robinhold, an alum of Yale SOM and the Yale School of the Environment, was recognized for leading a sustainable redesign of Portland International Airport.
Curtis Robinhold ’03 has earned a spot on the Time 100 Climate list, Time Magazine’s annual recognition of leaders addressing climate change through business practices, for his work leading a sustainable redesign of Portland International Airport (PDX).
As the executive director of the Port of Portland, Oregon, Robinhold oversees three marine terminals and two smaller airports in addition to PDX. Since 2019, he has led the PDXNext project, an ambitious $2 billion infrastructure update to make the airport more sustainable and earthquake-resilient.
Notably, the airport redesign relied on locally sourced mass timber, a building material comprised of wood panels stacked and glued together that is more sustainable and energy efficient than concrete or steel. The main terminal’s nine-acre roof is now the largest mass timber project of its kind in the world.
“We are doubling the airport’s size, yet cutting our energy use in half by using the latest in local, sustainably sourced designs and upgrades,” Robinhold told Time. “Bringing transformative projects like this to life shows the world that smart business and efficient infrastructure go hand-in-hand with supporting local economies and healthy environments.”
Robinhold has also spearheaded other sustainability innovations at PDX, such as transitioning to sustainable aviation fuel in order to reduce the aviation industry’s carbon emissions and impact on climate change. A joint-degree student at SOM and the Yale School of the Environment, he earned an MBA and a Master of Environmental Management. Prior to leading the Port of Portland, he held roles in the energy sector and served as chief of staff to former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber.
