Nebraska International Port of the Plains is the name that Lincoln County Commissioners selected for the inland port on the east edge of Hershey. Commissioners also selected members for the first board of directors for the port, at their regular weekly meeting at Lincoln County Courthouse on Monday.
Nebraska Department of Economic Development has also approved a port near Fremont, in eastern Nebraska.
The board of directors for the port in Lincoln County will have their first meeting in July, said County Commissioner Chris Bruns. He has had a major role in advocating the port. Bruns said an exact date for the board’s first meeting has not yet been set. The meetings will be open to the public and announced ahead of time in the local news media.
The board will be tasked with adopting by-laws, developing infrastructure for the 300 acre site, working with Union Pacific Railroad and other shippers, attracting businesses, dealing with legal and financial matters related to the port, etc.
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Following is brief biographical information for each member that the county commissioners selected to serve on the port authority board. Vince Dugan, Dwight Porter and Kirk Olson were appointed to three-year terms. Jim Hawks, J. Patrick Keenan and Kimberly Steger were appointed to two-year terms and Michael Steele, Leann Ellis and Kevin Tighe to one-year terms. All re-appointments will be for three-year terms. County Commissioners retain authority to make new or re-appointments and there will be no term limits.
Vince Dugan of North Platte is CEO and co-owner of Trego-Dugan Aviation, which provides aviation services including ground handling, electronic systems used on aircraft, air cargo and logistics, private jet charter, aircraft maintenance, etc. They partner with Amazon to design operational facilities for the large online retailer. Dugan is also a practicing personal injury and aviation attorney in North Platte. He has served on the board of directors for North Platte Development Corporation and was instrumental in recruiting Walmart Distribution Center to North Platte.
Dwight Porter has had decades of experience working with short line and major railroads in loading operations and rail design. He is a national sales manager for Progress Rail, a subsidiary of Caterpillar, which manufactures locomotives, wheels and cars. Porter has track design experience and strong ongoing relationships with major rail companies, including Union Pacific. Porter lives in rural North Platte, near Lake Maloney.
Kirk Olson is owner of Olson Farms of Hershey. He is a strong supporter of agriculture in the area. As a founding partner in Sustainable Beef, Olson was instrumental in developing one of largest projects to ever come to Lincoln County. He “knows that process through and through,” Bruns said.
Jim Hawks of North Platte is a former administrator of the city. He currently represents District Six on the Nebraska Highway Commission, an appointment made by former Gov. Pete Ricketts. Hawks has also served on the Nebraska Department of Transportation’s Innovation Task Force and is a past president of the Nebraska Association of County Engineers, Highway Superintendents and Surveyors and the Professional Surveyors Association of Nebraska. His experience also includes director of North Platte Municipal Light and Water, and Lincoln County highway superintendent and surveyor, along with other leadership roles in the community.
His attributes also include his understanding of the development process, including tax increment financing and other development incentives.
J. Patrick Keenan of North Platte is a managing member of Keenan Management, LLC, which owns and operates Hampton, Marriot Fairfield and Tru by Hilton Hotels, and develops other commercial properties. He was chief financial officer of Great Plains Bottlers and Canners, his family’s longtime Coca-Cola bottling business, until its 1998 sale to Coca-Cola Enterprises.
Keenan served on the steering committee for the statewide Blueprint Nebraska economic development planning process. He has served on the North Platte city Quality Growth Fund committee and is past board member of DEVCO. In April, 2022 he was elected board chair of The Platte Institute, an organization that advocates for policies to advance growth and opportunity in Nebraska.
He has extensive local civic involvement and a depth of business experience, Bruns said. His background in trucking logistics will also be valuable on the board of directors of the port authority.
Kimberly Steger, a rural Lincoln County resident, has a strong banking and finance background. She is a retired president of private banking for Sandhills State Bank. She has served on the North Platte Quality Growth Fund committee and is a past member and president the North Platte Chamber and Development board of directors. Her decades of experience in banking, finance and human relations will be invaluable on the port authority board, Bruns said.
Michael Steele of North Platte is vice president of administrative service for Mid-Plains Community College. He has responsibility for the college system’s approximately $50 million annual budget. He has a master’s degree in professional accountancy and is former owner and senior accountant for RJ Meyer and Associates, an accounting and auditing company in North Platte.
Leann Ellis of Hershey has served on the village board and was village clerk and treasurer for 10 yrs. In the early 2000s she lived in Holdrege, where she had broad experience working with Holdrege Chamber and Phelps County Development Corporation. Now retired, her experience, combined with her understanding of the Hershey village and local infrastructure will aid the port authority board as they develop the port district, Bruns said.
Kevin Tighe of North Platte is senior financial analyst at Nebraska Public Power District. A key consideration for selecting him was his experience working with Nebraska Department of Revenue and compiling data for the Nebraska Imagine Act, an economic development program, Bruns said. Tighe has a broad understanding of that and other state development incentive programs. He is a graduate of Leadership Lincoln County and was selected by the mayor to serve on the recreation advisory committee.