MADISON, WIS. – Dane County Executive Melissa Agard has announced the appointment of Mark Papko as the new Director of Dane County Regional Airport (KMSN). Papko was most recently the Director of Operations and Projects for the Duluth International Airport. He held that position since 2020 where he oversaw the planning and execution of a $200 million capital improvement project and led airport environmental compliance initiatives by working with federal, state, and local partners to address stormwater and PFAs mitigation issues. He has also worked at Grand Junction Regional Airport, San Jose International Airport, and O’Hare International Airport.
“I am excited to have Mark Papko lead the Dane County Regional Airport into a new transformative era aimed at expanding service, driving economic growth for our region, and bolstering tourism,” said Agard. “His strong background in airport operations and building high-performance teams will help continue the impressive growth the airport team has worked hard to build since the pandemic.”
Papko has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Operations from St. Cloud State, and a Master of Business Administration in Aviation Degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2013, he was an airport operations intern for Dane County Regional Airport.
“Mark’s extensive experience at multiple airports will help us continue the strong service and excellent reputation our team at the airport cultivated,” said Agard. “I can’t wait to see what this new team does next together.”
Celebrating 85 years of commercial flight, Dane County Regional Airport (KMSN) recently opened all gates in the 90,000-square-foot expansion of its south terminal with new and updated amenities. It is the second largest airport in Wisconsin.