Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1535535
EAR 25-YEAR-OLD DEBBIE (BTW, you'll come to prefer "Deb" later in life): I have so much to tell you about what lies ahead, the things you'll see, the lessons you'll learn. I know you're questioning your recent decisions: quitting the bike racing circuit to concentrate on next steps in education and career, and then abruptly deciding not to attend the University of Pennsylvania Medical School after working hard to get accepted. It'll be difficult to see your way forward; like trying to navi- gate twisty narrow streets of an ancient city without a map. But trust your instincts. Stay true to your core values, stay curious, and know that the path through life isn't linear. In fact, it's the detours and unexpected turns that will help introduce you to new skills and concepts, build competencies and emphasize personal strengths. You cannot possibly guess the industry or title of your final job pre-retirement. You end up being the "executive director" of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. You will love this job. Many factors make it a fantastic culmination to your career. Let me list those factors; they tick all your boxes: It provides exposure to a wide variety of industries, organizations, and concepts. In many ways, this job will be an extension of your path through biochemistry, environmental chemistry and policy, public service in regulatory agencies, and running your own company, working with local units of govern- ment to build funding portfolios to support economic develop- ment projects. Remember that each of us has only one life to experience this complex world. It's easy to see it through a single lens if it's the only one you've been provided and if you surround yourself with people who are also limited to use of that same lens. Unfortunately, it'll become increasingly easy to be this limited, due to the way that information networks, the internet and social media will evolve over your next 35 years ("internet" and "social media" … I know those terms mean nothing to you yet, but they will change how the world operates in your future). The ports industry and this job you'll love will demand that you think beyond ideology, transcend the crowd, and embrace complexity. This will feed you intellectually and make your solutions more robust. You will work with and get to know a variety of people and to understand their challenges, accomplishments and strengths. This will be humbling and personally enriching. You will enjoy the variety of personalities and appreciate others' unique ways of processing decisions and range of perspectives. You will have the opportunity to serve on multiple boards and in leadership roles for related organizations. You'll gain an appre- ciation for the importance of governance, the many faces of leadership, and the truly hard work of good leadership. This job requires strategic thinking. It involves constant problem solving at multiple levels. It requires that you seek the big picture, whole-playing-field view, but under- stand the importance of detail, timing, and sequence in getting things done. Oddly, you'll often draw parallels between your future work with the Port Authority and the bicycle racing you concentrated on recently—constantly reading the pack and plotting your next move on a dynamic chess board of compet- itors, teammates and terrain. As a cyclist, you're never sitting passively in the pack; you're either attacking, responding to an attack, actively recovering to prepare for the next move, adjusting position within the pack in anticipation of the sprint, or working concertedly on your own or with a small group to get away from the pack to cross the finish line. In your Port Authority job, you will always be moving multiple projects and initiatives forward, letting some sit temporarily while you assemble funding, work with partners to mobilize support, test conditions and assumptions, or otherwise wait for the oppor- tune moment to advance. Time and again, you will appreciate how important it is to pause, collect your thoughts, get input and support from teammates and partners, and let ideas bake a bit before taking action. But you'll also appreciate that there are key moments when immediate action is absolutely critical for the best or only chance of success. Be ready to recognize and exploit those times. Best of all , you get to work with a small tight-knit team mobilized around a common mission; we get a lot of stuff done. I can't overemphasize the importance of this factor. Throughout your career, this type of environment will be the one you find most rewarding to work within and to help create. It will be what initially draws you to the Port Authority. Plus, you will discover that it's just fun to get stuff done. Working with the Port Authority team will be the high- light of your career. Please note: you will find it difficult to leave this job, but you'll also recognize that every season of life had its theme and reason. On your retirement day ( by the way, it'll be in June 2025, so fund your retirement accounts accordingly), it'll be time to embrace the next season. Further, you'll know that it's healthy for organi- zations to evolve with new leadership. You'll be leaving a clean house behind you for the next executive director to step into and lead in their own way. Oh, another thing: You end up marrying a guy who you'll meet later this year. You'll have two kids. As I'm writing this, the youngest is 25, and the other is 27. They grow up in Duluth— perfect place to raise kids. Those three are your North Star. And yes, you do still run, ski and bike. You still love dogs and books and have cherished friends. It's going to be a fun ride. DULUTHPORT.COM | 1 THE HARBOR LINE Deb DeLuca Executive Director D