Cindy Nichol is the Director of Airports for Sacramento County, which operates four airports. Sacramento International Airport (SMF) continues to grow, so airport leadership has launched a $1.4 billion capital program to meet the growing demand from customers and to further enhance their airport experience. The program includes seven terminal, parking, and ground access projects. Mather Airport is a US Air Force base that was transferred to the County in 1995, and now serves all-cargo airlines, general aviation and military aircraft operations. Executive Airport and Franklin Field are the County’s general aviation airports.
Cindy began her role as Director of Airports here in Sacramento County in October of 2018. She has over thirty-five years of experience in airport management in the private and public sectors. She was on staff at the Massachusetts Port Authority (Boston Logan International Airport) and then San Francisco International Airport, and she served as Chief Financial Officer of the Port of Portland before coming to Sacramento. Between her stints at Massport and San Francisco, Cindy served as a consultant to numerous airports in the US and abroad, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Transportation Security Administration. Cindy is currently Vice Chair of Airports Council International-North America and will serve as Chair in 2026 and 2027.
Cindy’s love of aviation began while growing up in rural western Ethiopia, where her Dad was a doctor. During the six-month rainy season when roads were impassable, the only way to get home from the capital was by flying. She loved the feeling of weightlessness and the views of the fields and villages from up high and was hooked!