Southwest’s first female exec passes away

Camille Keith, the first woman officer of a domestic airline and an original employee of Southwest Airlines, passed away at age 75. Keith worked at the airline for 35 years, and handled numerous roles during the early days of the airline. She also created the first loyalty program in the airline industry – the “Sweethearts Club” – developing strong customer bases across markets. “Camille was a positive force in the travel industry and put her talents to work on behalf of Southwest with hutzpah. She was an accomplished executive early on in a male-dominated field,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines chairman and CEO.