Following a swearing-in ceremony on June 16 in Washington, D.C., the United States Department of Transportation named Mike McCoshen, a native of Superior, Wisconsin, as administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS).
McCoshen succeeds Adam Tindall-Schlicht as head of the federal agency responsible for U.S. infrastructure and waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Established by federal government statute in May 1954, the GLS also plays a role in nurturing trade and generating economic activity for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. McCoshen, who was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump, is the 12th administrator in GLS history, and the third with direct connections to the Port of Duluth-Superior.
Duluth bank executive and Seaway proponent Lewis G. Castle served as the first GLS administrator from 1954-1960, and David Oberlin served from 1969-1983 after a two-year term directing the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
A longtime member of the Duluth-Superior Maritime Club, McCoshen most recently served as president of McCoshen Logistics Solutions LLC, a consulting firm focused on bulk terminals and cargo logistics. Prior to that, he worked for more than 20 years with Hallett Dock Company in Duluth, eventually serving as president and chief operating officer. His career began in 1976 as a heavy equipment operator at the Burlington Northern taconite facility in Superior. Throughout more than 45 years on the working waterfront, McCoshen helped move more than 200 million tons of cargo through the Seaway System.
“Mike brings a wealth of experience and insight to the GLS, earned through a long, distinguished career on the working waterfront,” said Kevin Beardsley, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “He’s been at the forefront of cargo transportation, infrastructure and trade on the Great Lakes for decades. We’re looking forward to his continued partnership and advocacy on behalf of the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System.”
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More than 700 vessels and 30 million short tons of cargo move through the Port of Duluth-Superior each year, making it the Great Lakes’ largest tonnage port and one of the nation’s top 20. The port supports more than 7,000 jobs and contributes $1.3 billion in business revenue to the regional economy. Learn more at DuluthPort.com.