Acting Deputy Regional Administrator, Central Region

David Kessler became the Acting Deputy Regional Administrator for FAA's Central Region in Kansas City, Missouri, in March 2025. The FAA’s Central Region encompasses the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.      

Mr. Kessler not only serves as an executive representative for the region, but he comes to the Central Regional Administrator’s Office with a wealth of legal experience in various practice areas including rulemaking, regulatory, labor, commercial law, regulatory interpretation, ethics, acquisition, hazardous material, drug abatement, airman and aircraft certification, medical, torts, enforcement, airport and environmental law, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He served as an attorney in the Kansas City Regional Office since 2008.  

His previous role as the Senior Attorney in the Central Regional Administrator’s Office entailed working closely with the FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service. In 2017, he received a team award from the Office of Chief Counsel in recognition of exceptional service on the Part 23 Airworthiness Standards Regulation Team. David also supervised staff attorneys and support staff within Central Region from 2015-2019. 

Prior to his career with the FAA, David served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Maryland, prosecuting thousands of felony and misdemeanor crimes. He graduated cum laude from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where he received his Juris Doctor (J.D.). He also received a B.A. in Music from Loyola University.