Rhonda Chambers, the former director of aviation known for her effusive personality and unbridled enthusiasm for all things airport-related, retired on July 31, 2025.

The Manson area native began her aviation career in 1980. She worked at the former Denver Stapleton International Airport in Colorado and Love Field in Dallas, Texas, before coming to Fort Dodge.

Sarah Rustvold, who was the airport’s administrative coordinator, replaced Chambers as director of aviation on Aug. 1, 2025.

“Sarah brings fresh perspectives and expertise to the position, having worked alongside Chambers for many years,” said Deb Johnson, who was the chairwoman of the Airport Commission at the time of Rustvold’s promotion.

“With a deep understanding of the foundation laid by Rhonda, she is prepared to build upon that legacy and drive continued growth and success,” Johnson added. “As she takes on this responsibility, collaboration with staff, stakeholders and the broader aviation community will be key to maintaining the airport’s success and advancing its future development.”

Rustvold had been the airport’s administrative coordinator since Jan. 3, 2017.

Some of the projects that Chambers planned will be carried out this year. And one of those projects will be mostly paid for from a rare source of federal money.

The federal government pays a significant amount for improvements to airports throughout the country, usually paying for 95 percent of a given project or purchase. But it is unusual for the federal government to have money left over from any of its airport funding initiatives. And when it does have leftover money it is extremely difficult for an airport to get any of it.

Chambers learned that the federal government was going to dispense some leftover money from the 2023 Airport Improvement Plan. She submitted a proposal to replace the blue lights that line one of the taxiways, which are the paths that planes travel on between the runways and the terminal. Right now those lights are incandescent, which are expensive and difficult to get. The proposal she submitted would replace the incandescent lights that line the longest taxiway with LED lights. The LED lights will be easier to maintain and will reduce the airport’s electric bill.

Airports around the nation filed 353 applications for that leftover money. A total of 62 grants were awarded and the Fort Dodge Regional Airport received one of them, for a total of $1.2 million.

Rustvold said the installation of the new lights will begin this spring.

Also ready to start this spring will be a rehabilitation of the shorter of the two airport runways. Rustvold said one runway will remain open at all times while the rehabilitation work is underway.

“There should be minimal delays, if any, to commercial flights,” she said.

The oldest building on the airport grounds will also get some improvements this year. This 1950s vintage hangar has an arched roof and is easily seen from the airport parking lot. Rustvold said it was the first building constructed on the airport grounds and served as both the terminal and a hangar.

A new door will be placed on its front, and the building will be painted and insulated. A new roof with the letters FOD — the airport code for Fort Dodge — painted on it was installed last year. Rustvold said it was common in the past for airports to have their name on a building roof to help pilots know where they were. The hangar roof had Fort Dodge painted on it in badly faded letters.

After all the work is done on that hangar, it will become the home for the airport’s snow removal equipment.

On March 1, Skywest Airlines, doing business as United Express, will mark five years of service to Fort Dodge. That airline connects Fort Dodge to Chicago — O’Hare International Airport, where passengers can make seamless connections to United Airlines flights across the globe.

Rustvold said this year the airport commission and staff will seek proposals from engineering firms interested in preparing a new masterplan for the site.

And in May, the airport will conduct a full scale disaster drill. The airport is required to hold regular disaster drills, with most of them being tabletop exercises. But every three years, a full scale drill that includes volunteers posing as victims and the use of lots of fire trucks and ambulances is conducted.