Aviation Program Specialist Brian Kuennen Takes to the Skys with Skywest

Aviation Program Specialist, Brian Kuennen is leaving the Iowa DOT to pursue a career as a regional airline pilot. Brian will be flying the Embraer 175 with Skywest Airlines. He will continue to call Central Iowa home, where he also flies Black Hawk helicopters for the Iowa Army National Guard.

Kuennen joined the Iowa DOT’s Aviation Team in 2016. He brought a high level of customer service to aviation stakeholders in Iowa and set a new bar in the collection and analysis of aviation data. During his time at the Iowa DOT, Brian added numerous pilot certificates, became an enthusiastic first-time aircraft owner, served in the military, and become a dad. Brian notes he has been extremely grateful for all of the support and mentorship during his time at the Iowa DOT saying, “I could not have asked for a better work environment, coworkers, and leaders”.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.