Forest Lake resident Ray J. Rought, former director of Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics, received the prestigious Kenneth A. Rowe Ambassador of Aviation Award at the 76th Annual National Association of State Aviation Officials Convention in Portland, OR.

This award, established in 1994, is presented in the name of Kenneth A. Rowe to honor state aviation directors “who embody the spirit, optimism, and fierce pride, in the capabilities of the state aviation agencies.”

It is only given upon unanimous consent of the NASAO board .

Since 1994, only five other state directors have received this award. Rought is the sixth state director to receive the aviation award.

Rought, a certificated pilot, has been involved in aviation for more than 37 years.

In June 1970, he began working in aviation with the Michigan Bureau of Aeronautics, immediately after college.

In February 1986 he was selected for the job of Director of Aeronautics at MnDOT. Rought also holds the unique distinction of being the longest serving aeronautics director for Minnesota, having completed nearly 22 years.

The previous record was held by Rought’s predecessor Larry McCabe, at 19.5 years.

Under Rought’s leadership Minnesota Aeronautics grew to be recognized as a world leader in aviation, providing the aviation community with some of the finest navigational aids, the fastest, most accurate weather gathering and dissemination systems, and 146 top quality public airports and seaplane bases.

Aviation officials from many states and countries including Russia, China, Sweden, Finland and France, have come to Minnesota to study how aviation works from the smallest singular item all the way to planning for the future.

“I was always busy, and never bored,” Rought said.

“The value and importance of aviation to our society and to our world is a driving factor to me. Without aviation our state, region, and world would be drastically different. With aviation, even the smallest city in the state that has an airport, has their ‘front door’ open to the world!”

He is a long time resident of Forest Lake where he resides with his wife Carol.

They have three grown daughters.

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