Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht, made his first visit to Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor today to tour the $30 million expansion project made possible by federal grants and to discuss future shipping growth.

Administrator Tindall-Schlicht was appointed by President Joe Biden in November 2022 and oversees the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. (GLS), which is responsible for the operation and maintenance a safe, reliable, efficient, and environmentally responsible deep-draft waterway in the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway between Montréal and Lake Erie and encourages trade development throughout the Great Lakes. GLS is a wholly owned government corporation and an operating administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Prior to his appointment as Administrator, Tindall-Schlicht was the director of Port Milwaukee from 2018 to 2022.

GLS Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht (second from left) toured the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor with port director Ryan McCoy, Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock and Northwest Indiana Forum CEO Heather Ennis.

“The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway is vital to our nations’ economic growth, and is critical to creating a Great Lakes System that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable,” Tindall-Schlicht said. “It is exciting to see the unique role Indiana plays in vital supply chains. The state’s unique combination of a busy international port, productive steel mills, and proximity to the heartland of American agriculture, makes for a truly special lakeshore. I look forward to continued work with Ports of Indiana and local leaders to grow maritime shipping in this region.”

During his visit to Indiana, Tindall-Schlicht met with port leadership, customers and community officials, and toured the port to discuss future needs and observe more than $30 million of work in progress from two federally-funded infrastructure projects. The Administrator finished the afternoon by participating in a roundtable discussion with local leaders, including Portage Mayor Sue Lynch and representatives from the offices of Senator Mike Braun, Senator Todd Young, Congressman Frank Mrvan, Northwest Indiana Forum and others.

“It’s an honor to have the Seaway Administrator tour our port expansion projects and share his ideas about future opportunities,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “Adam has been a true champion of the Great Lakes for many years, and we are excited to share in his bold vision for growing shipping on the Great Lakes. The leadership and resources now being focused on Great Lakes shipping have created major excitement in our industry, and we are expecting big things from Adam and his team.”