Francine Melendez Hughes
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER, STADIUM OPERATIONS
3rd NFL Season, 3rd with 49ers
Francine Melendez Hughes is in her third season as executive vice president & general manager of Levi’s Stadium. In her role, she is responsible for all aspects of stadium operations at the world-class venue located in Santa Clara, CA. This includes oversight of stadium operations, project management, engineering, grounds, guest services, janitorial, parking, security, transportation, and more. She is the stadium’s main point of contact on all event days.
In Hughes’ Levi’s Stadium tenure, she has successfully hosted some of the world’s biggest artists including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Ed Sheeran. She has also enabled Levi’s Stadium to welcome over 70,000 fans for multiple NFC Playoff Games, including the NFC Championship. Other sporting events include the Concacaf Gold Cup and Conmebol Copa América. After just one year at Levi’s Stadium, Hughes was named to Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 2023 Women of Influence.
Over the course of the 2024 and 2025 NFL offseasons, Hughes led a $200M stadium-wide renovation project to preserve the life of the venue and prepare it to host the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl LX in 2026. Renovations included refreshing all luxury suites and club spaces, improving infrastructure to be able to support new best-in-class WiFi and cellular networks, replacing over 13,000 square feet of LED boards, installing new field lights, and building the NFL’s largest 4K video board display. Thanks to Hughes’ leadership, Levi’s Stadium was able to complete all renovations while hosting more than 15 non-NFL events.
Levi’s Stadium was designed with a high emphasis on sustainability. Since opening in 2014, the venue has featured a multitude of sustainable features including over 1,000 solar panels, the NFL’s first-ever rooftop farm, and state-of-the-art conservation practices. The Green Sports Alliance has recognized Levi’s Stadium in their Play to Zero Awards for exceptional conservation of water and energy. In 2024, Hughes and her team extended the venue’s commitment to sustainability by earning a third LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (2014, 2016, 2024).
Prior to joining the 49ers, Hughes served as vice president of real estate and facilities management for Curative, an innovative healthcare services company. There she was responsible for evaluating real estate strategy and securing real estate in response to the organization’s rapid growth, among other operations. She played a crucial role in the acquisition of a prime real estate asset and orchestrated its transformation from traditional office space into a health and wellness facility. Hughes’ tenure at Curative resulted in the company optimizing operations and achieving significant efficiencies and cost savings.
Hughes also spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2009-2013) and McCourt LLC (2013-2021). At the Dodgers, she managed the 330-acre Dodger Stadium, gameday employees, and multiple third-party services supporting event operations. Hughes was instrumental in spearheading sustainability initiatives spanning energy, water, and recycling. Additionally, she was responsible for overseeing the operational aspects of the team’s spring training facility and Dominican academy. Under her leadership, she successfully orchestrated the repositioning of the academy, implementing significant upgrades and enhancements. This included the installation of a direct power source to the facility, ensuring reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply, and an enhanced water filtration system, providing consistently clean and safe water throughout the campus. Hughes’ experience with the Dodgers was highly beneficial during her transition to a new role with McCourt LLC, the company holding the operating rights to the Los Angeles Marathon. Hughes was heavily involved in operations for the event, which required significant collaboration between both McCourt and the Dodgers. Hughes was also charged with management of a world class equestrian operation and entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing the talents of elite international athletes and ensuring optimal care and training of exceptional horses. Alongside managing the equestrian operation, she routinely conducted risk assessments to ensure the highest operational and safety standards.
Hughes chose to join the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium due to her longstanding passion for sports. She loves the thrill of live entertainment and camaraderie that comes with working in sports. Outside of work, Hughes enjoys supporting her local community by organizing events and volunteering.
Hughes holds a B.S. in Management from the Graziadio business school at Pepperdine University. Originally from New York City, she splits her time between the Bay Area and Southern California where she resides with her mother, husband, son, daughter and grandson.