Marc Calixte is being honored in Category 1: Building a Customer Focused Culture for his transformative leadership in redefining the Customs experience at Dulles International Airport. With a visionary and empathetic approach, Marc prioritized both the traveler journey and the employee experience, even without a formal customer experience (CX) background. His leadership has set a new standard for what it means to serve the public at a port of entry.

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By viewing operations through the eyes of the traveler, Marc spearheaded a series of impactful improvements. He engaged directly with passengers to better understand their needs, introduced innovative technologies such as walk on by cameras, smart queueing systems, and a Customs mobile app, and launched a Global Entry “enrollment on departure” pilot to streamline processing and improve security. Working in close partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, he enhanced signage and wayfinding, while also implementing dynamic, data driven processing layouts that adapt to passenger volumes. To make the Customs environment more welcoming, Marc incorporated cultural artifacts and digital content into the space. At the same time, he focused on employee well being by introducing a wellness room and morale initiatives to support CBP officers.

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The results of his leadership have been extraordinary. Within one year, customer complaints fell by 60 percent and employee complaints dropped by 70 percent. Under Marc’s guidance, Dulles has evolved into more than just a point of entry. It has become a welcoming, efficient, and people centered first impression of the United States. His legacy is one of innovation, empathy, and a deep commitment to public service excellence.