On Friday August 18, 2023 LSSU Alumnus Pete Stauber ’90 was named Legislator of the Year by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force for his role in advocating for the Minnesota navigation systems. Eighty percent of the iron ore used in American steel mills is shipped from Duluth, Two Harbors and Silver Bay, MN and Congressman Stauber was recognized for his efforts.
Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Deb DeLuca said, “Pete has been vigilant in his support of expanding Great Lakes ice-breaking assets and updating performance metrics to help improve and expand Great Lakes ice-breaking, which is key to keeping us open.”
As a student at Lake Superior State University, Stauber would be able to see the freighters in the St. Mary’s river from his dorm. Since his time away from the Sault area, he has continued to support the modernizing of the Sault Locks, beating the drum on the importance of them, and ensuring funding for the Poe Lock continues.
Stauber reflects on his time at LSSU and says, “In the spring, I could see the ice on the river. And when the ice broke up, you see the lakers coming in through the locks. I knew they were coming from the Iron Range and the Port of Duluth with the blood, sweat and tears of the men and women on the Iron Range who mined those minerals.”