Raymond Rought
ST. PAUL, MINN. – Raymond J. Rought, who led the Minnesota Office of Aeronautics for more than two decades, retired from the Minnesota Department of Transportation on January 6, 2012.
Rought began his career in state government in Michigan in 1970 with the Bureau of Aeronautics. He was appointed the aeronautics director of the State of Minnesota in 1986, a position he held until he was appointed the assistant to the director of the Modal Programs Division of MNDOT in 2007. His last appointment was as the assistant to the director of the Employee & Corporate Services Division.
Rought graduated from Michigan Technology University with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1970, and served in Vietnam in the Army Medical Command from 1971-72. He received his Private Pilot Certificate in 1976.
Rought was active in the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), and served on its board of directors and as chairman. Rought was instrumental in establishing the NASAO Center For Research & Education. He received NASAO’s “Ken Rowe Ambassador of Aviation Award” in 2007 in recognition of his contributions to the betterment of aviation nationally through research, education and legislation. Rought was inducted into the Michigan Tech Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Hall of Fame, and on April 28, 2012, he will be inducted into the “Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame” in Bloomington, Minn.
