Kevin Foley has announced that he will retire as executive director of the Des Moines International Airport Authority, effective April 4, 2025.

The announcement was made in a news release this morning, in which it was also announced that the airport’s board of directors plans to name his successor in the coming months.

Foley, 66, will mark his 11th year as executive director in February, a tenure that saw the airport transition from being city run to an independent authority. In recent years, Foley has led the project to expand the airport to meet the growing needs of the region, including securing funding from 20 Central Iowa communities to move the project forward.

Construction on a new terminal is already underway. It is scheduled to be complete and begin operation in early 2027. Demolition of the existing terminal will begin immediately once the new terminal is open.

Construction on the first phase of the terminal project is estimated at about $425 million, with the second phase of the terminal estimated to cost around $54 million, Foley said during an August interview with the Business Record.

Part of the airport project is expanding the parking garage. That project, which will add 1,100 spaces to the garage, is slightly behind schedule but should be open by spring break 2025. When it’s done, it will bring to about 2,700 the number of spaces for public parking at the airport.

In the release, Foley said the time was right to transition to a new executive director.

“I’ve always suspected I wouldn’t move into the new terminal, and now feels like the right time to let new leadership guide [Des Moines] into the future,” Foley said in the release.

During his tenure, the airport has seen its annual passenger count increase from 1.8 million in 2011 to 3 million in 2023. This year, passenger traffic has risen 3.3% year over year.

Foley joined the Des Moines International Airport in 2008 as properties administrator before
becoming deputy aviation director in 2009. He was named assistant executive director in 2011 before becoming executive director in 2014.

Before coming to Des Moines, Foley was an associate professor of aviation at the University of Dubuque and held key management roles at Dubuque Regional Airport from 1992 to 2000. He also worked as a corporate pilot and is a certified flight instructor and multi-engine commercial pilot.

Jake Christensen, the chair of the Des Moines International Airport Authority board, thanked Foley for his years of service and wished him well in retirement.

“Kevin has been instrumental in leading transformational efforts during his tenure while building a team of highly capable directors to carry on the work,” Christensen said in the release.