By Kenneth Books
Sal Nodjomian and his family could live anywhere in the world. But, after Sal spent his last tour of duty as an Air Force officer at Eglin Air Force Base, they chose to remain in Niceville.
“My wife fell in love with the area,” Nodjomian, 56, said. “My boys weren’t interested in leaving the area. It starts with the people. There are a lot of places you can get access to water, Spanish moss and the beach. This just feels like home.”
Sal and Carla will have been married 30 years in September. They have two boys, both of whom are Niceville High School graduates. Adam, class of 2013, is a civil engineer with a masters in transportation engineering. Jason, class of 2017, is pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Alabama.
Retiring in 2012 as commander of the 96th Air Base Wing, Sal cites the “overall quality of life” and the “military attitude, the support and love” the Emerald Coast is known for, as among the reasons his family settled down here. And that was unique in itself: “This is the longest we’ve ever been anywhere,” the retired colonel said.
It didn’t take Sal long to make his mark both professionally and in service to his newfound home. Shortly after his retirement after 23-and-a-half years in uniform, he began work with Matrix Design Group, Inc., a national company that handles engineering, planning and environmental projects, and started a branch office in Niceville. Three years ago, he was named chief executive officer of the local branch. Since then, he has doubled the size of the local outlet. “We’ve enjoyed a lot of success on the national stage,” he says.
Although he could have remained in the Air Force and possibly earned a star, Sal, a University of Delaware ROTC graduate and native of Baltimore, has no regrets about leaving. “I enjoyed every single assignment I had in the Air Force,” he said. “The Air Force sent me back to school many times. Compliments of Uncle Sam, I’ve accumulated five master’s degrees. I’m a life learner.”
He also got to see much of the world. He lived in Turkey after the first Gulf War and remained there for about a year, “leaving there speaking Turkish like a native.” He also spent time at the Pentagon, in Alaska and in Virginia. He also spent time in Iraq, which he said was still in the throes of a shooting war, Kuwait, Qatar and “I even dipped my toe in Afghanistan.”
Sal has also found a niche in local politics. He is in his third term on the Niceville City Council, where he served for the past nine-and-one-half years.
“I consider it a blessing to be able to serve the city,” he says. His city council service has also given him the chance to mentor the Niceville Youth Advisory Council, which Sal’s son, Adam started.
“Jason served for a number of years,” on the advisory council, Sal says, “which I thought was great.”
He said the advisory council educates young people in civics, the Sunshine Law and other, related topics. Members also visit Tallahassee to see how Florida’s government functions and it’s won at least six statewide competitions, including essays and photojournalism.
Sal is up in the air regarding continuing as a city council member. “I’ll finish my current term, then we’ll see,” he said. “I don’t like to see seats encumbered.”
It’s clear that Sal is proud of his community service.
“I’m such a big fan of giving back,” he says. “I wish more community members would find a way to do that. This community is special. There are so many opportunities to make it even better.”
