Rodney Schaaf Appointed to the ND Aeronautics Commission

Rodney Schaaf of Bowman, North Dakota was recently appointed by Governor Burgum to serve on the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission for a 5-year appointment that became effective on July 1st, 2023.

Rodney Schaaf

Rodney has been an active member of the North Dakota aviation community throughout his life. He became a pilot in the Air Force in the early 1970s where his first assignment sent him to the Grand Forks Air Base as a KC-135 flight crew member. Following his honorable discharge in 1978, Rodney was hired as a pilot for Delta Airlines and had a successful career through his retirement in 2004.

In 2007, Rodney was appointed to serve on the Bowman County Airport Authority, and he has acted as the chairman of the board for over a decade. In this role, he was instrumental in the planning, design, and construction of the new Bowman Regional Airport which was opened to the public in 2015. Rodney was also inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame in March 2023.

“We are excited to welcome Rodney within his new role where he will provide guidance and oversight to our work at the Aeronautics Commission,” stated Executive Director, Kyle Wanner. “His broad experience within the field of aviation will complement our work to grow airport infrastructure and aeronautical services throughout the state of North Dakota.”

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.