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Leadership is...
"Having a passion about the mission needing to be accomplished and instilling that passion in your team by working with them, side by side, and supporting them in any way necessary."
--Michael Van de Ven

TITLE:	Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
JOB DESCRIPTION:	Mike provides Executive Leadership to the following Southwest departments: Flight Operations; Ground Operations; Inflight and Provisioning; Maintenance and Engineering; Operations Coordination Center; Safety and Security; and Operational Training.
EXPERIENCE:	Mike has held several positions at Southwest such as Executive Vice President of Aircraft Operations, Senior Vice President of Planning, Vice President Financial Planning & Analysis, Senior Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Director of Financial Planning, and Director of Internal Audit. Prior to joining Southwest, Mike was a senior audit manager at Ernst & Young in Dallas, Texas.
LENGTH OF SERVICE AT SOUTHWEST:	Started April 1, 1993
EDUCATION:	Mike received a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
FAMILY:	Mike and his wife, Cindy, have two sons: Kyle and Garrett
FIRST PAYING JOB:	Summer recreation instructor where I coached kindergarten kids in extremely advanced baseball skills such as selecting the arm they would be using to throw the baseball. I also doubled as "Keeper of the Whistle" during playground time.
PROUDEST MOMENT:	"Each time I see my kids get excited about their accomplishments."
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED:	"Happiness is something you decide, not find."
BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN:	"Be humble and treat others with respect."