Midgett as an
Engineering Officer. Shoreside assignments included
Pollution Response and Vessel Inspection, as well as Search
and Rescue.
Mr. Weakley entered the private sector in
1993 when he joined The Interlake Steamship Company as
Personnel Director. During his career with Interlake (one of
the largest U.S.-Flag carriers on the Great Lakes), he
advanced to the position of Operations Manager. He serves as
Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He was recalled
to active duty following the events of September 11, 2001,
and became a founding member of the Maritime Security
Division for the Ninth Coast Guard District.
The U.S. Coast Guard has honored Mr. Weakley
on several occasions. He has been awarded the Department of
Transportation 9-11 Medal, two U.S. Coast Guard Commendation
Medals, two Achievement Medals, the Humanitarian Service
Medal, and two National Defense Medals, as well as other
personal and unit awards.
Mr. Weakley is a member of the Board of
Directors of the Maritime Cabotage Task Force, the
Washington, DC-based coalition that promotes the Jones Act
in our nation’s capital. He is also an officer of the Great
Lakes Maritime Task Force, a regional labor/management
coalition that focuses on Lakes issues. Mr. Weakley serves
on the Board of the Marine Transportation National Advisory
Committee; he is Chair of the Board of Visitors at Great
Lakes Maritime Academy; serves as an Advisor to the Council
of Great Lakes Governors; and represents Ohio as a
Commissioner on the Great Lakes Commission. Mr. Weakley is a
member of American Bureau of Shipping, Case Western Reserve
Alumni Association, Cleveland, Ohio’s Lakefront Plan
Advisory Committee, Great Lakes United, The Propeller Club
of the United States in Washington, DC and Cleveland, Ohio,
and the U.S. Guard Academy Alumni Association.
Mr. Weakley earned a Masters of Business
Administration from the Executive Program at Case Western
Reserve University in 1999. The proud father of Meghan and
Katie, he and his wife, Sally, live in Avon, Ohio.
With roots that trace back to 1880, Lake
Carrier’ Association is one of the oldest trade associations
in the country. Today, the Association represents 18
American corporations that, in total, have 63 vessels and a
combined per-trip carrying capacity of more than 1.9 net
million tons. Major cargos include iron ore for the steel
industry; coal for power generation; and limestone for the
construction and steel industries. LCA’s members have the
capacity to haul more than 125 million tons of dry-bulk
cargo on an annual basis.
