DALLAS – After 26 years with the City of Dallas and 13 years with the Department of Aviation, Sheneice M. Hughes retired as Deputy Director – Finance, People, and Culture for Aviation on March 31, 2026. Since stepping into executive leadership in 2018, Hughes has completely transformed business operations and the workplace culture at Dallas Love Field (DAL).
A native of Arkansas, Hughes brings both academic rigor and practical expertise to her work. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Public Relations from Grambling State University, followed by a Master of Applied Psychology with a concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
“I honestly believe that Grambling State University (an HBCU) changed my life and taught me how to be a strategic problem solver,” said Hughes. “And, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, I learned to craft my skills in understanding people and how to encourage them to work together for organizational effectiveness.”
During her tenure with the Department of Aviation, Hughes didn’t just maintain operations; she elevated them. She established new divisions, such as the Airport Communications Center, and strengthened workforce development and external communications.
Her work directly improved operations, employee engagement, and the customer experience, having overseen 15 divisions. As Chief Financial Officer, she demonstrated sharp financial leadership, securing funding for critical airport infrastructure and delivering over $123 million in savings through strategic refinancing. Additionally, she was a vital member of the team that completed DAL’s Airport Use & Lease Agreement in 2025, maintaining the signatory relationship with Southwest Airlines until 2042.
Before joining Aviation in 2013, Hughes served in the Mayor and City Council Office for three and a half years, where she launched initiatives that strengthened community connections and developed future talent. Before that, she served in the city’s Civil Service department for over nine years and played a key role in shaping fair and effective promotional processes for the city’s police and fire departments.
Hughes also shared, “Police and Fire testing was the foundation of my City of Dallas career. I learned the rules of engagement and how much police and fire contributed to the heart of Dallas.”
For almost 30 years, Hughes has consistently built high-performing, collaborative teams and individuals throughout the City of Dallas.
To celebrate her innovative impact and encourage future excellence, Dallas Love Field created the ‘Sheneice M. Hughes Innovator of the Year’ Award, making Hughes the inaugural recipient at a recent retirement celebration in her honor.
