The Iron Ore Alliance announced Mike Bakk as its new co-chair. He will join co-chair John Arbogast of the United Steelworkers in the alliance’s mission of providing a unified voice for modern iron mining in Minnesota.

Bakk first became a U. S. Steel employee in 1997 and is currently the director of operational readiness at Keetac.

He replaces former Iron Ore Alliance co-chair Chris Masciantonio, who recently retired from U. S. Steel after working for the company since 1989. Masciantonio was a founding member of the Iron Ore Alliance, which launched in 2013. 

“Mike is a respected, familiar face in our industry and region,” said Arbogast. “On behalf of the Steelworkers, we look forward to collaborating with him to advance our unified goal of promoting and protecting Minnesota’s iron mining industry.”

Bakk graduated from Cook High School in 1997 and from Michigan Tech in 2001 with a degree in mechanical engineering. A licensed professional engineer in the state of Minnesota, Bakk earned a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He lives in Mountain Iron and is the son of retired state legislator Tom Bakk. Mike Bakk has played a critical role in overseeing Keetac’s DR-grade pellet project, which will allow the plant to produce higher value, higher iron content pellets that will modernize U. S. Steel’s steelmaking operations.

“I am humbled to be selected for this exciting yet challenging role of co-leading the Iron Ore Alliance,” said Bakk. “As a lifetime Iron Ranger, I take a lot of pride in the iron mining industry. I look forward to working with my colleagues at U. S. Steel and our partners at the United Steelworkers to represent our industry with enthusiasm and integrity.”