Deb DeLuca

Deb DeLuca's Member Photo

At-Large Member

Board

Executive Director

Duluth Seaway Port Authority

President of Minnesota Ports Association

Executive Committee Member of APEX

Board Member of the Iron Mining Association

Board Member of the Chamber of Marine Commerce

Alternate Minnesota Commissioner to the Great Lakes Commission

Deborah DeLuca is the Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the first woman at the helm of the organization in its 60-plus-year history.  She is passionate about the Port Authority’s mission: “Bring business to the Port, economic development to the region, and advocate for the maritime and transportation industries and the industrial sector they serve.”

A graduate of UW-Madison, DeLuca earned a B.S. degree in molecular biology and a master’s in land resources.  She began her career at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture after which she worked with the MPCA, becoming supervisor of its Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup (VIC) Program.  As owner and principal of DeLuca Strategies for 14 years, she provided consulting services to public, private and non-profit sector clients in the arenas of grant-writing, implementation of funding strategies, project management, government relations and public outreach.  Before becoming the Executive Director of the DSPA, she was the Government and Environmental Affairs Director for four years where she tracked regulatory issues and legislation for DSPA, the Port of Duluth-Superior and the Great Lakes-Seaway System.

Deb is an outdoors enthusiast and former U.S. National cycling team member.