Department of Airports sees change with new director as longtime leader, James Jenkins, readies for retirement

Brett Godown James Jenkins

The Department of Airports is changing leadership with a new director, Brett Godown, who came on board in January to work alongside retiring Director James Jenkins, to help ensure a smooth transition when Jenkins officially retires in June. Godown has been running the day-to-day operations for many months and is confident his vision will further build on the legacy that Jenkins is leaving behind after 33 years of public service with the department.

Godown comes with plenty of experience and is a familiar face to the Department of Airports, previously working as an airport operations supervisor and interim airport manager twice for Chino Airport during his employment from 2006 to 2011.

“As the airports operations supervisor, I had the opportunity to work between all six airports, the admin office, handling special projects and being a technical resource for the airport operations,” said Godown.

After Godown left the county in 2011, he worked as an airport manager at Page Municipal Airport in Arizona and later managed the Salinas Municipal Airport off the central coast of California.

“The reason I came back is very personal to me. I knew this was an opportunity to do a hand-off with James, providing a wonderful opportunity for me. With having someone hand it off to you like this, you understand where the pitfalls are and where things are moving and that is very helpful,” said Godown.

“My successor, Brett Godown, started the early part of his career for the Department of Airports and he and I got a chance to spend a lot of time together because he was hired in as an airport operation supervisor during the period of time when I was the assistant director of airports, so he understands our system,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins, who has had his fair share of experience with multiple airport cleanups and abatement orders at Chino Airport that involved local, state and federal agencies, says it is important to learn how to manage the expectations of others and to stay transparent with tenants and those who use the facilities.

“Don’t overpromise and be realistic in what you think you are able to deliver as a staff member. Do your best to represent the county’s interest on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

Godown says because of his experience in the industry and with the county, he is now in a position where he can direct and lead the department where he believes it should be positioning itself. With more than 20 years in the aviation industry, Godown says his vision includes supporting airport businesses, communities and staff.

“I’ve always treated airports with the business philosophy if I can position the airport to help the business on the airport thrive, the airport itself will thrive,” said Godown.

Part of his vision, Godown says he wants to build complete engagement with communities where the residents see the airports and value the airports for being near them. One approach he says is through storytelling, focusing on the benefits of the airports and the good they do, such as providing aviation programs for kids or the vital role airports play in day-to-day and emergency services.

“At Chino Airport, fire, police and sheriff’s helicopters and aircraft come in and out of here all the time. We have military aircraft operating critical missions or we have air ambulance services that are dispatched from here,” he said.

“General aviation pilots will provide Angel Flights to someone who needs cancer treatment in Stanford. They will fly them up to the Bay area to do their treatments and fly them back. These are some of the things we are trying to demonstrate how the community is connected to the airport are things we plan on promoting in the future.”

Working with an almost fully staffed department, Godown says he is really focused on the internal culture of the organization. “We are creating an inclusive and diverse culture. We are in a great position to start moving beyond triage and start providing the services that you would expect from the Airports Department,” Godown said.

In his free time, Godown’s hobbies include mountain biking, golfing and being in the outdoors. Godown received his graduate degree in organizational leadership from the Townsend Institute at Concordia University Irvine. He completed his undergraduate degree in aviation business administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), serves on the Board of Directors and Leadership Development Committee for the Southwest Chapter of AAAE and received his pilot’s license in 2010.

Additional County Update News – May 30, 2024