The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s board of directors elevated its second-in-command administrator to the top leadership role, replacing retiring agency head Paul Toth.
The port board voted unanimously Thursday to authorize a contract for Thomas Winston, the port authority’s vice president of administration and chief financial officer. He will succeed Mr. Toth — who has been with the port authority for nearly 32 years and at its helm since 2009 — as president and chief executive officer beginning Sept. 1.
In late 2018, the port board said it had formed a search committee to find its next leader after Mr. Toth announced plans to retire. But the group quickly identified Mr. Winston as its top candidate and scrapped plans to conduct a national search, John Szuch, the board’s chairman and search committee head, told The Blade.
“We discussed the idea of some kind of limited outside search and I think we were so convinced he was the right guy that we ended up not doing that,” he said.
Both Mr. Szuch and port board vice chairman Sharon Speyer said the decision was easy.
“When you’ve got somebody who is very passionate about the community, who’s got the skill set and has vision — not only to execute today ... but in the next 10 years from an economic development standpoint — we all thought unanimously that Thomas had earned the right do that,” she said.
The board of directors’ resolution authorized Mr. Szuch to negotiate the terms of Mr. Winston’s contract as president, including salary and benefits. Mr. Toth’s base salary is $206,000. The position also comes with bonuses and a Toledo Club membership.
Mr. Winston, 48, will lead a quasi-government agency that’s responsible in equal measure for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city’s port, train station, airport, and economic development projects to spur growth in the county.
“We’re unique among port authorities,” Mr. Szuch said. “Most of them don’t have an airport they’re running and they’re not doing economic development.”
After the board’s vote, Mr. Winston thanked its members and Mr. Toth for their confidence in him and said the port authority’s results depend on the performance of its entire organization.
“Our success is a result of all the great work our team members have done,” he said. “You should expect to continue to see that at the port authority. The port authority’s leadership may change, but the goals and mission remain the same.”
The port authority has had successes and setbacks over the past decade. It has struggled to expand passenger and cargo service at Toledo Express Airport. But it was able to successfully repurpose the former Jeep factory site in central Toledo as an industrial park and converted part of the former Gulf Oil refinery site in East Toledo into a bulk-materials terminal. The remainder of the refinery site now is being redeveloped by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. as an iron-ore processing facility, set to employ 130 workers once it opens in 2020.
The port authority, which has certain powers that city and state entities do not, has a diverse real estate portfolio. In August, it acquired One Government Center from the state, which houses government offices. The agency also administers small business loans and a $100 million bond fund.
Mr. Winston’s promotion comes after nearly a decade with the port authority. He previously worked for Owens Corning, drug manufacturer Pfizer Inc., and Nuveen, a Chicago-based investment management company. The Monclova Township resident obtained a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s of business administration from Loyola University.
“I love what we do,” Mr. Winston said. “The team, we love what we do here. We love getting up in the morning and thinking about, ‘How do we make an impact in the community?’ That’s the passion that I have and the team has ... and that’s led to the successes we’ve had.”
Mr. Winston joined the port authority in 2010 after several challenging financial years for the agency. He was hired by Mr. Toth into a new position the CEO said is a combination of three senior roles. Mr. Toth recommended Mr. Winston to succeed him.
“Since the day he walked into the organization he managed that huge challenge with integrity and professionalism every step of the way,” Mr. Toth said.
Mr. Szuch described Mr. Winston as a good listener and critical thinker who works well with the port authority’s administrative staff of 30 full-time employees.
“The employees thoroughly enjoy working for him and respect him,” he said. “He’s very involved and easy to work with.”
First Published May 23, 2019, 1:18 p.m.
