Honorary Colonel Joyce Carter has spent her career at the intersection of aviation, public safety, and national service. As President and CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA), she became the first woman to lead Atlantic Canada’s largest airport, guiding a critical transportation and security hub that supports both civilian and military operations.
Her selection as a Top Women in Defence reflects not only executive leadership in aviation but her growing role connecting the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to the broader Canadian community. A lifelong Nova Scotian, Carter grew up in a family shaped by military service, and that connection continued through her spouse’s 25-year RCMP career, including peacekeeping service in Haiti. Aviation safety and defence readiness therefore became more than professional responsibilities; they were part of her personal identity. One defining moment occurred on September 11, 2001. Working in Halifax Stanfield’s Emergency Operations Centre, Carter helped coordinate the reception of 40 diverted wide-body aircraft and approximately 7,000 stranded passengers.
The experience reinforced the importance of preparedness, interagency coordination, and calm leadership under pressure, principles that would guide her later executive career. As CEO, Carter modernized the airport’s approach to security, infrastructure resilience, and emergency planning while strengthening partnerships with federal agencies and the Canadian Armed Forces. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also served as Chair of the Canadian Airports Council (2020–2022), leading collaboration across the national airport system during one of the most disruptive crises in aviation history. In February 2024, she was appointed Honorary Colonel of 12 Wing Shearwater, a RCAF helicopter wing based in Nova Scotia.
In this role, she acts as an advisor, ambassador, and mentor to the Wing, strengthening ties between military personnel and the civilian community. Carter regularly participates in unit activities, supports morale and outreach initiatives, and uses her extensive leadership network to advocate for the people and families of the Wing.
The appointment formalized a relationship she had long cultivated between the aviation sector and the RCAF. A career highlight came in March 2025 when she delivered the keynote address at Maritime Forces Atlantic’s Women in Uniform Symposium, speaking on leadership in non-traditional professions and the responsibility senior leaders have to widen opportunity for others. Carter believes representation matters most when it becomes routine rather than exceptional. Throughout her career she has focused on building pathways, whether advancing women in aviation leadership or strengthening civilian-military partnerships, so that progress endures beyond individual careers. Looking ahead, she continues guiding Halifax Stanfield’s long-term expansion while supporting 12 Wing Shearwater’s personnel and community engagement efforts. Carter was nominated by Major (Retired) Eva Martinez, Esprit de Corps Women in Defence Award recipient (2016).
