Paying kindness forward

Stephen Heady did not arrive at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) as a Houston Airports Volunteer Ambassador by chance. The moment had been building for more than 20 years.

Heady joined the airport system’s volunteer program in August 2025, shortly after retiring from a career in public education. A former principal at Avalos Pathways in Technology Early College High School, he arrived with a deep belief in service and a vivid memory of what a single act of kindness can mean to a stranded traveler.

“In the summer of 2002, I had booked an international flight to Asia,” Heady recalled. “I was an inexperienced traveler and did not own a cell phone.”

His first flight from Houston to an airport on the East Coast was delayed due to a ground stop. When he landed, Heady missed his evening connection for the international leg of his trip. The airline was unable to rebook him for a flight the next day.

“I found myself walking around the lobby of the airport very bewildered and uncertain of what to do,” he said.

That’s when he noticed an airport volunteer seated at an information booth.

“With no one else to talk to, I explained my dilemma to her,” Heady said.

The volunteer listened and offered practical guidance. She suggested returning to the ticket counter and asking the airline to rebook him on a flight departing the next day from a nearby airport, where flights on that carrier were typically less full. When Heady asked how he would get there, she pointed him to a shuttle service that connected the two airports.

“The following day, everything worked perfectly as planned,” Heady said. “Without the help of the volunteer, I do not know what the outcome of the situation would have been.”

That interaction stayed with him for more than two decades.

“That experience had a huge impact on me, which I have never forgotten,” Heady said. “It inspired me to want to be an airport volunteer when my schedule allowed it. Without the knowledge and kindness that the volunteer shared with me, I would have remained confused and missed the vacation I had planned.”

Now, at IAH, Heady has become the volunteer he once needed. “It is very rewarding to serve as a volunteer and be able to assist passengers at Bush Airport,” he said. “Assisting passengers to make connections, whether it be on planes, meeting family or retrieving baggage, is rewarding because I know I am making their experience easier.” For Houston Airports, that quiet, human moment is exactly the point.

“Stephen is a true champion of customer care and a dedicated ambassador,” said Ella Ghica, manager of volunteer programs for Houston Airports. “He is always smiling, always welcoming and truly embodies Houston-friendly hospitality. Volunteer ambassadors like Stephen play a vital role in shaping the passenger experience in ways travelers often never see.”

Volunteer Ambassadors are stationed throughout the terminals, helping passengers navigate connections, answer questions and find their way, especially during moments of stress or uncertainty.

“My experience serving as a Houston Airports Volunteer Ambassador has truly allowed me the opportunity to pay forward the kindness and assistance that a volunteer at another airport showed me over 20 years ago,” Heady said.

That philosophy aligns with the broader mission of Houston Airports: connecting the people, businesses, cultures and economies of the world to Houston while delivering a world-class, organized and functional environment where passengers feel welcome.

At Bush Intercontinental Airport, Stephen Heady now sits where another volunteer once sat for him. Most travelers will never know the path that led him there. They will only know that, in a moment of uncertainty, someone was there to help.

Get Involved | Houston Airports is always looking for friendly faces ready to help travelers feel confident and cared for. To learn more about becoming a Volunteer Ambassador at IAH or William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), click here.