DALLAS — After 26 years with the City of Dallas, including 13 years with the Department of Aviation, Sheneice M. Hughes has retired from her role as Deputy Director of Finance, People, and Culture at Dallas Love Field.
Hughes, who stepped into executive leadership in 2018, is credited with transforming business operations and workplace culture at the airport. During her tenure, she helped establish new divisions, including the Airport Communications Center, while strengthening workforce development and external communications.
Her leadership also had a significant financial impact. As Chief Financial Officer, Hughes helped secure funding for major infrastructure projects and delivered more than $123 million in savings through strategic refinancing. She also played a key role in completing the airport’s 2025 Airport Use & Lease Agreement, maintaining its long-term relationship with Southwest Airlines through 2042.
“I honestly believe that Grambling State University changed my life and taught me how to be a strategic problem solver,” Hughes said. “At the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, I learned to understand people and how to encourage them to work together for organizational effectiveness.”
A native of Arkansas, Hughes earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Public Relations from Grambling State University and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Before joining the Department of Aviation in 2013, Hughes worked in the Mayor and City Council Office, where she launched initiatives to strengthen community engagement and develop future leaders. She also spent more than nine years in the city’s Civil Service department, helping shape promotional processes for Dallas police and fire departments.
“Police and Fire testing was the foundation of my City of Dallas career,” Hughes said. “I learned the rules of engagement and how much police and fire contributed to the heart of Dallas.”
In recognition of her impact, Dallas Love Field created the “Sheneice M. Hughes Innovator of the Year” Award, naming Hughes as its first recipient during a recent retirement celebration.
City officials said Hughes’ nearly three decades of service helped build strong teams and lasting improvements across multiple departments, leaving a significant legacy at Dallas Love Field and within the city.
