North Star Port Magazine | FAQ | | BUSINESS COMMUNITY INFORMATION CONTACT US About Us The Duluth Seaway Port Authority The Duluth Seaway Port Authority is an independent public agency created by the Minnesota State Legislature to foster regional maritime commerce, promote trade development, facilitate industrial development and serve as an advocate for port interests here and around the world. Our mission is to bring business to the port and economic development to the region. The Port Authority also owns and manages multiple waterfront properties, including the 120-acre Clure Public Marine Terminal (the port’s only general cargo facility), Erie Pier and an industrial park near the Duluth International Airport. The Port Authority is the grantee of Foreign Trade Zone No. 51. Led by an executive director, the Port Authority staff provides leadership for and support to the local maritime community. The Port of Duluth-Superior is the largest tonnage port on the Great Lakes and ranks among the top 20 ports in the U.S., handling an average of 35 million short tons of cargo and hosting approximately 800 vessel visits each year. Duluth Seaway Port Authority Staff Deb DeLuca – Executive Director ddeluca@duluthport.com Deb DeLuca is the executive director of the Port Authority and the first woman to lead the organization in its history. DeLuca is currently president of the Minnesota Ports Association and an executive committee member of APEX, a regional economic and business development organization. She is a board member of the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota and the Chamber of Marine Commerce and also serves as an alternate Minnesota commissioner to the Great Lakes Commission. Deb DeLuca Executive Director Kevin Beardsley Chief Financial Officer Jayson Hron Director of Communication and Marketing Kate Ferguson Director of Trade and Business Development Jeff Stollenwerk Director of Government and Environmental Affairs Dean Lembke Facilities Manager Becky McMillan Senior Executive Assistant and Human Resources Coordinator Shellie Golden Senior Accountant Sheryl Toland Accountant Steven C. Overom Legal Counsel Duluth Seaway Port Authority Board Members The Port Authority is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners, two appointed by the Governor of Minnesota, two by the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners and three by the Duluth City Council. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for the technical, financial and organizational development of the Port Authority. Appointed to six-year terms with varied expiration dates, commissioners meet monthly to set policy, approve contracts and determine budgets. The Board also hires the agency’s executive director and oversees agency operations. Any of the commissioners can be reached through the Port Authority office: 218.727.8525 admin@duluthport.com Tony Sertich – President Northland Foundation President Hermantown, Minnesota Tony Sertich, former DFL legislator from Chisholm, Minnesota, is a fourth-generation Iron Ranger. Named president of the Northland Foundation in January 2015, he previously served as commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB), a position to which he had been appointed by the governor in 2011. For more than a decade, Sertich served in the Minnesota House of Representatives; he was elected House Majority Leader in 2006 – the youngest in Minnesota history. Sertich is also business manager of a family enterprise on the Iron Range. A graduate of Hamline University, Sertich received a bachelor’s degree with a double major in political science and theater arts. He and his wife reside in Hermantown. Tony Sertich President Yvonne Prettner Solon Vice President Patrick Boyle Secretary Mike Jugovich Treasurer Tyrone Walker Assistant Treasurer Ray Klosowski Commissioner Rick Revoir Commissioner CONTACT US 802 Garfield Avenue Duluth, MN USA 55802 Telephone: 218-727-8525 EMAIL THE PORT EXPLORE News and Updates FAQ Port Directory Harbor Lookout STAY CONNECTED