Spencer Vaughn Joins Iowa DOT Aviation Team

Spencer Vaughn has joined the Iowa DOT’s Modal Transportation Bureau as an Aviation Program Specialist. Vaughn will provide aviation program support for the Aviation Team, working closely with airports, pilots, and other aviation stakeholders in Iowa. Primary responsibilities include working with the aircraft registration program, airport project reviews, airport engagement, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), and aviation system analysis. Vaughn holds licenses for both aircraft and UAS. Prior to joining the Iowa DOT, Spencer was a Central Service manager at a seed research equipment manufacturer, and a photojournalist and chief pilot at KCCI TV in Des Moines.

Aviation Director, Tim McClung noted Spencer is a welcomed addition to the Aviation Team. “He will play a key role in providing technical services to aviation stakeholders, and in assuring that public investment in aviation is meeting objectives and properly serving the aviation system”. Modal Transportation Director Tammy Nicholson said the addition of Spencer brings the Aviation Team to full staffing to best support a strong aviation system in Iowa.

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.