After 26 years running Logan, Hanscom Field and Worcester Regional Airport, longtime Massachusetts Port Authority aviation chief Ed Freni is set to step down this summer. His top lieutenant, Sharon Williams, is slated to take over as Massport’s executive director of aviation on July 1, while David Ishihara moves into the deputy aviation director seat. The shakeup keeps Boston’s airport system in veteran hands at a moment when Logan is juggling major construction work and steadily rising passenger volumes.
The Massport board signed off on the succession plan at its Thursday meeting, formally naming Williams executive director of aviation and Ishihara her deputy, as reported by The Boston Globe. Freni, a familiar presence at the authority for decades, also briefly stepped in as acting CEO when leadership changed two years ago, the Globe noted. Massport CEO Rich Davey called the retirement “much deserved” and credited Freni with providing a steady hand through those transitions, according to the paper.
Williams' experience and track record
Massport materials show that Williams has put in more than three decades at the authority, including 12 years running Hanscom Field and a recent assignment overseeing aviation facilities and passenger services at Logan, according to Massport. Her resume also includes tours managing terminals, airside operations and fleet maintenance, giving her deep institutional knowledge as she moves into the top job. The promotion reflects years of internal development and succession planning at the agency.
Freni, who is in his 70s, retires after 26 years overseeing Massport’s airports and briefly served as acting CEO when Rich Davey joined the authority in 2024, as reported by The Boston Globe. Williams will be only the second woman to lead Massport aviation after former FAA chief Jane Garvey, and she told the board, “There’s no doubt I have very large shoes to fill, but I do have an incredible team of aviation professionals [to help],” the Globe noted. Colleagues also point to her credentials, including earning a pilot’s license at 17 and nearly four decades of flying experience.
What this means for Logan
The handoff lands while Massport maps a multibillion-dollar capital agenda at Logan that emphasizes ground access and customer experience, a program Hoodline detailed earlier this year. That $4.1 billion five-year plan includes major roadwork, a new parking garage at Terminal E and projects designed to push the airport toward net-zero operations, and will be a central test for the incoming director, according to traffic-slaying overhaul. Massport’s choice to promote from within could help smooth delivery on those projects, but the new leadership will still face scheduling and community coordination challenges.
Williams formally takes the helm on July 1, per Massport’s board plan. Freni will step away after a long run steering the authority through growth and recent leadership changes, and Massport said the handoff is orderly as it moves into its next chapter.
.jpg){kind=link}