As the new president of the Northland Foundation, based in Duluth, Tony Sertich is marshaling philanthropic resources to strengthen the northeastern Minnesota economy and social fabric. But he didn’t rise from the ranks of the nonprofit sector. Sertich came from the front lines of the public sector where he engaged in tough debates over how best to use taxpayer dollars. A former Minnesota House majority leader and commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, Sertich was recently appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton to serve on the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority board, which has faced dissension over leadership powers.