030: Inside Clinton County Port Authority (with Alex Beres)

Real Change Wilmington

Alex Beres became Executive Director of Clinton County Port Authority in February of this year and celebrated the birth of his first daughter at CMH over Easter weekend. With his slicked back hair and fancy suits, some might wonder if Alex was formerly an east coast Mafia Don, but Alex’s roots actually come from rural northern Ohio where he met his now wife. Alex jokes how his now in-laws were impressed that he was on the basketball team in high school and played in a band, but how his wife “could still care less about my guitar playing.”

The Clinton County Port Authority not only manages our commercial airport that was donated after DHL left in 2009, but also acts as our county’s economic development leader to do things like attract (and keep) large employers and developers. Alex first got interested in economic development as a child when he and his father petitioned neighbors to get a rural water co-op to build water lines to their area. “I remember in high school drinking water from the faucet and it was the first time I could ever do that and it was because of infrastructure”, he said.

Alex also remembers his uncle, who worked in economic development for the State of Ohio, visiting between “top secret meetings” with Whirlpool to get them to stay in the area. “I thought that was incredible, almost like being a spy”, he said.

After working several years in Columbus and D.C., Alex is glad to be closer to family and is enjoying his new role in Wilmington. He encourages anyone who wants a tour of the airpark and see what’s new to contact him at [e-mail].