Jerry Atkin: Mormon Businessman

Jerry C. Atkin is an American businessman. He is chairman and CEO of SkyWest Inc. SkyWest owns and operates regional airlines SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines. He is the longest-tenured CEO in the airline industry.

Atkin was born on February 27, 1949, in St. George, Utah. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Utah and after his graduation worked as a Certified Public Accountant for two years.

He moved back to St. George in 1974 to help his uncle J. Ralph Atkin with his floundering SkyWest company. The company had three planes and twenty employees when he joined the company. As of the end of 2014, the company has a fleet of 716 planes and almost 20,000 employees. During his leadership of the company, he helped SkyWest form partnerships with major airlines. In addition to his role at SkyWest, he is on the Board of Directors of Zion’s Bancorporation and is a member of the Utah Board of Regents.

He and his wife, Carolyn, are the parents of four children.