The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) has named Shane Wright as Aviation Director for the agency’s Modal Transportation Bureau.
Wright has been with the Iowa DOT since 2015 and brings nearly two decades of aviation experience spanning commercial airport management, Part 139 airport operations, fixed-base operations, and flight experience as a commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings. He is a graduate of the University of Dubuque Aviation Program and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
During his tenure at the Iowa DOT, Wright has coordinated the State Aviation Program and worked extensively with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, as well as on airport capital improvement planning, airport land use and zoning, legislative initiatives, and statewide aviation system planning.
Wright assumed the role on May 18, 2026, succeeding longtime Aviation Director Tim McClung, who announced his retirement after serving for 23 years with the Aviation Team.