County Supervisor Nora Vargas has been appointed to the Board of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, replacing former Supervisor Greg Cox.
Supervisor Vargas was nominated by Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher and confirmed by the full Board on Jan. 5.
“I’m honored to be nominated for this critical position by Chair Fletcher and confirmed by my peers,” Vargas said. “It’s clear that the success of the region is linked to the success of our airport. I’m looking forward to helping the Airport Authority recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic and restore the public’s confidence in air travel, while ensuring their health and safety.”
The Airport Authority, which operates San Diego International Airport (SAN), is governed by a nine-member Board whose members are appointed by elected officials representing all areas of San Diego County.
Vargas was recently elected to the District 1 Supervisorial seat, which includes SAN. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors. She formerly served on Southwestern College’s Governing Board of Trustees and was Vice President of Community and Government Relations for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest.
“Supervisor Nora Vargas is a fantastic addition to the Airport Authority Board. Her experience and expertise will be crucial in helping the airport move forward in 2021 as we work to rebuild passenger volumes in a safe and effective manner, while also focusing on replacing the aging Terminal 1,” said Airport Authority Board Chair Johanna Schiavoni.
“I’d also like to thank former Supervisor Greg Cox for his years of dedicated service, not only to the Airport Authority but to the entire San Diego region,” Schiavoni said. “He will be missed tremendously.”
Vargas’ three-year term on the Board is effective immediately.
“There’s great reason for optimism in 2021,” said Airport Authority President/CEO Kim Becker. “The addition of Supervisor Vargas will be integral to the success of the organization, as will the recent appointments made by Mayor Todd Gloria, including Johanna Schiavoni as Board Chair and new members Gil Cabrera and San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert.”
Councilmember von Wilpert’s appointment is pending City Council confirmation.