Change Is In The Air At MnDOT Aeronautics

If you are a regular customer or partner of MnDOT’s Office of Aeronautics, then you are likely already aware of the long-term staffing transition that began several years ago and is very much still in process today. My goal in writing this is to bring you up to speed regarding these changes, but also to share a bit of what is yet to come.

One of the biggest changes to share, and most impactful to me personally, is that effective April 25, 2022, I became Interim Director

of Aeronautics, following the retirement of our long-time director, Cassandra Isackson. Cassandra’s last day working in Aeronautics was April 22 and I am honored to be asked to take on this role while a national search is conducted to find Cassandra’s permanent replacement.

Cassandra accomplished many things in her career and specifically as Director of Aeronautics. She was known to be one of MnDOT’s most strategic thinkers, and excelled at creating effective partnerships in aviation. But what she enjoyed most was flying to visit airport communities to talk with leaders and citizens about their goals for their airport and how the state could help. We all wish her well in this next phase of her life.

At the time of this writing, there is also change happening at the Assistant Director level due to my temporary assignment as director. Several years ago, the office began a transition to a two Assistant Director office management model, but we are yet to have both of those roles filled permanently at the same time, and that trend will likely continue for some time. The agency is in an active hiring process for one of those two Assistant Director positions now and hopes to have both Assistant Director positions filled permanently within a year.

Beyond those office leadership positions that are in flux, we’ve said goodbye to several long-time staff, and welcomed many new faces to our ranks. Speaking of new faces, due to the pandemic, there are a handful of our staff that I have never had the opportunity to meet in person, and I hope that changes soon. But for now, most of our team is still teleworking.

Many of us were able to gather at the Minnesota Airports Conference in April at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. It was great to shake hands again, get reacquainted with long-time friends and colleagues, and meet new people. It was my honor to provide an update to the event attendees, and provide a “deep dive” into our organizational structure and all the change we have been and will be experiencing. Having almost 25 percent of the workforce vacant certainly creates challenges, but also is an opportunity to bring us back to full staffing. Getting MnDOT Aeronautics fully staffed will be one of our office’s highest priorities so we can continue to meet your expectations today and into the future. We already have a great team in place, and building on that solid foundation will make MnDOT stronger and better able to deliver the services you’ve come to rely upon and expect.

One final note of change to share relates to our physical location, which becomes even more important and relevant once more of us are back in the office. Please note that we have moved! While the office remains closed to the public, we are now co-located with MnDOT’s central office in the Transportation Building near the Capitol Building in St. Paul. It’s just a short distance from our former office on Plato Boulevard, but the neighborhood couldn’t be more different. Parking won’t be as easy in the new location, so be sure to plan ahead if you have scheduled a meeting with us that is not virtual.

Please feel free to drop me an email, send a letter, or call if there’s anything you’d like to discuss. Here’s my information, including the new office address:

Ryan Gaug

395 John Ireland Boulevard

St Paul, MN 55155

ryan.gaug@state.mn.us

612-422-8601