by Dave Weiman
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine June/July 2024 Digital Issue
It is tradition to rotate the annual Minnesota Airports Conference around the state to different host airports and communities. Last year, the conference was held in Alexandria, Minnesota. This year the conference was held at the Breezy Point Resort in Breezy Point, Minn., April 24–26, 2024.
The conference features experts in aviation and aerospace who share their knowledge in a variety of sessions and presentations. The conference aims to deliver the most up-to-date and advanced information for Minnesota aviation professionals, especially airport managers, fixed base operators, and state and federal aviation officials. The whole idea of the conference is to exchange ideas on funding, trends, airport management, operations, maintenance, and best practices, and to recognize accomplishments.
Ryan Gaug
Dave Weiman Photo
Conference highlights included a keynote presentation by best-selling author Ross Bernstein about the DNA of what makes champions in sports so unique and how that relates to business. Other speakers included former state legislator Mike Beard of Bollig Engineering; Dave Beaver of Owatonna Degner Regional Airport; Ryan Gaug, Kirby Becker, Casey Carlson, Tim Jarvis, Arika Johnson, and Jim McCanney of the MnDOT Office of Aeronautics; Joseph Block of Crown Consulting; Zach DeVeau of Kimley-Horn; Nicole Harris of the FAA Airports Division; Ben Melin, Andy Smuder and Nick Thoennes of Neo Electrical Solutions; Brian Ryks of the Metropolitan Airports Commission; Rob Sims of Mead & Hunt; Ann Johnson Stewart of Professional Engineering Services; Lindsay Terry of FAA’s Airport Division Office; Bill Towle of St. Cloud Regional Airport; and Andrew Wall of South St. Paul Municipal Airport.
General session topics included airport funding challenges and successes, statewide priorities in the Minnesota State Aviation System Plan (MnSASP), advanced air mobility, connecting with the state legislature to influence decision-making, and more! Concurrent sessions were held on airfield lighting, airport improvement program (AIP) funding for multiple runways, 5010 focus areas, and emergency response.
Airport project award recipients included Jackson Municipal Airport for “Project of the Year – Intermediate Small GA Airport” for its runway, taxiway, and apron improvements (HDR, consultant, Svoboda Excavating, Inc., contractor); Fillmore County Airport for “Project of the Year – Intermediate Large GA Airport” for its terminal building construction (SEH, consultant, Wieser Brothers General Contractor, Inc.); and Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport for “Project of the Year – Commercial Service Airports” for its new airport rescue, firefighting, and snow removal equipment facility (Mead & Hunt, consultant.)
The chair of the Minnesota Council of Airports is Pam Schroeder of Fillmore County Airport in Preston, Minn.; Andrew Wall of South St. Paul Municipal Airport is vice chair; and Kyle Christiansen of Bemidji Regional Airport is secretary/treasurer. Mark Knoff is executive director.
The conference is organized by the Minnesota Council of Airports and the Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics, and facilitated by the University of Minnesota Airport Technical Assistance Program (AirTAP).
The 2025 Minnesota Airports Conference will be held April 23-25 in Mankato.
