MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVES 2016 ANNUAL MEETING. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES (In order of appearance on the agenda)

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1 MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVES 2016 ANNUAL MEETING SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES (In order of appearance on the agenda) KYLE SEXTON Marketing Strategist Kyle Sexton is an award-winning marketing strategist and international speaker and author on the topics of membership development, marketing and innovation. He was recognized in 2011 by Chamber Executive magazine as one of the most influential innovators in the chamber of commerce industry. Kyle is the author of: ReMembership - New Thinking for Tomorrow's Membership Organization Follow You Anywhere - 22 Little Lessons for Team Leaders Social Media Mullet - coming soon! Kyle is the chamber community's foremost authority on membership tiers, and guides organizations through the transition from a traditional dues method to value-based tiers. His research and methods have been featured in industry publications, as well as national conventions and regional conferences. Formerly the director of business development for the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, Kyle was recognized as the 2007 Chamber Staff Person of the Year by the Western Association of Chamber Executives. Kyle's innovative "Face2Face" platform on SalemChamber.org propelled the site to be the top-ranked local or regional chamber of commerce site on the web, as measured by Alexa.com. His innovations have been featured in The Wall Street Journal. In 2008, he created what is now ChamberPeople.com, the web s largest social network exclusive to chambers of commerce. He is also the creator of the Member SalesEngine, an automated online membership sales module and lead-generator for chambers of commerce. Kyle serves as faculty for the Institute of Organizational Management since 2008: University of Arizona Loyola Marymount University Villanova University University of Wisconsin University of Georgia He leads courses on: Marketing Strategies Rethinking Communications Integrating Strategic Technology Solutions Tech Trends & Tools Sponsor Solicitation Kyle is a former faculty member for the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE) Academy, and former member of the Board of Directors of The American Chamber of Commerce Executives. He also served as Chair of the Membership Development Advisory Board. He is a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from ACCE's Circle of Champions sales division with over 1,000 memberships sold.

2 He has been marketing and selling memberships since Prior to working in for chambers of commerce, he was the Director of Marketing & Corporate Services for a chain of Gold s Gym locations in Western Oregon. His work was honored with the 2001 Gold's Gym International Award for Outstanding Advertising from among 600 franchises worldwide. Kyle received the 1994 Pioneer Award for his first business venture, a College Pro Home Painters franchise which he operated for 2 years while attending the University of Oregon. Kyle plays a little guitar and lives in Salem, Oregon, with his son, Wyatt. See more at: PO Bpx 441, Salem, OR Kyle@KyleSexton.com DOUG LOON President, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Douglas B. Loon is president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, a position he has held since September 8, The Minnesota Chamber represents more than 2,300 Minnesota companies, 130 local chambers and 65 business trade associations at the Minnesota Legislature on a variety of issues that impact Minnesota s economy. Prior to assuming leadership of the Minnesota Chamber, he spent 20 years at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 17 of those in Minnesota. As the vice president for regional affairs and advocacy, he managed the seven regional offices that provide political and grassroots outreach across the nation. He also managed the U.S. Chamber s Midwest Region that includes Minnesota. He was intimately involved in supporting state and local chambers and businesses to move public policy in a direction that helps them be successful. Previously, Loon served as director of congressional and public affairs at U.S. Chamber headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he served as one of the organization s chief lobbyists before Congress on issues critical to the American business community. Before joining the U.S. Chamber staff in 1995, Loon was legislative director to Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. In his 10 years on Capitol Hill, Loon also served as acting staff director for the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and on the Senate Commerce Committee. In addition, he worked for Senator Larry Pressler of South Dakota. Loon received his bachelor s degree in government and international affairs from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. He is a graduate of the Congressional Research Service s Institute for Legislative Staff as well as the Federal Election Commission s program on campaign finance laws for incorporated trade associations and membership organizations. He also graduated from Leadership Minnesota, an exclusive program of the Minnesota Chamber addressing the economic and public policy issues of Minnesota businesses. He is past chair of the Eden Prairie Foundation Board of Directors. 400 Robert Street North, Suite 1500, St. Paul, MN doug.loon@mnchamber.com TERESA BOHNEN President, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Teresa Bohnen has been President for the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce for the past 18 years. During her tenure, the Chamber has expanded its membership, attained the most prestigious 5-Star Accreditation status from the US Chamber of Commerce and has been nationally recognized for excellence in programming, special events and government advocacy.

3 Prior to working for Chamber members, Teresa served five years as Executive Director of United Way of Central Minnesota and ten years as National Product Manager for Coldspring. She serves on many industry and community boards of directors and is a Rotarian. She holds a Marketing degree and MBA from St. Cloud State University. Bohnen is married and has an adult daughter. She enjoys music; health, wellness and fitness activities; and spending time in the summer at her family s seasonal cabin West St. Germain Street; Suite 101, St. Cloud, MN tbohnen@stcloudareachamber.com AMY LINDE Marketing and Communications Director, Greater Mankato Growth Amy Linde has worked in the marketing and communications field for more than seven years. Currently, she is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Greater Mankato Growth, a regionally focused and integrated Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Organization (which includes affiliates Visit Mankato and City Center Partnership). In her role Amy is responsible for providing leadership and execution of all external marketing and communications strategies and tactics in order to provide critical information to businesses, while positively positioning Greater Mankato Growth and the regional marketplace. She holds a B.A. in Travel and Tourism, as well as a B.A. in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology from St. Cloud State University. She credits finding her passion for marketing and communications to the leaders who took a risk in hiring her, gave her the freedom to explore and listened to her often bigger-than-doable ideas. She currently volunteers with the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Committee, Educare, Visit Mankato Leisure Think Tank, Mankato Marathon and her local town festival planning committee. She received the Above and Beyond Award from the Mankato Council of Quality in 2011 for her commitment to providing a great experience for all she serves. Amy also is a graduate of the Greater Mankato Leadership Institute. Prior to joining Greater Mankato Growth, she put one of her two degrees to hard work as an Archaeological/Cultural Resource Technician working across the upper Midwest. She also exercises her left brain from time to time while serving as the Chief Finance & Marketing Officer for a small business her and her husband own and operate. Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her young family, especially if it's out on the lake in the summer and ice fishing in the winter. Click to View Amy s LinkedIn Profile 1961 Premier Dr #100, Mankato, MN alinde@greatermankato.com BRAD GRUHOT Membership Director, Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce Brad started his Chamber career as the Membership Director for the newly formed SouthWest Metro Chamber in From there, he worked for the Bloomington Chamber in Membership from before deciding to move his family back to his home town of Marshall to be closer to his mom who was having health issues. Brad was the Membership Director from July, 2014 until recently being named the Chamber director of the Marshall Area Chamber on January 1 st. Prior to Chamber work, Brad worked for the Southdale YMCA in Edina for 11 years. Brad is very active in the community and serves on the Board of Directors for the Marshall Area YMCA and Holy Redeemer Church will be he is 6 th year coaching his son s baseball team. Brad has been married to Karen for 14 years and has two children, Jonathan-10 and Alayna-7. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, visiting friends and even through all of the heartbreak, he is an avid MN sports fan. 118 West College Drive, Marshall, MN bradg@marshall-mn.org

4 STEVEN ROSENSTONE Chancellor, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Steven Rosenstone began his service as chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in August He is responsible for leading the seven state universities and 24 community and technical colleges that serve more than 400,000 students in 47 communities across the state and provide all Minnesotans with an opportunity to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. Before he became chancellor, Rosenstone served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Vice President for Scholarly and Cultural Affairs at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded the McKnight Presidential Leadership Chair. Prior to that, he taught at Yale University and the University of Michigan. A political scientist, Rosenstone is the author of four books and numerous scholarly articles on elections and political participation. He is a nationally recognized expert on higher education issues. He holds a bachelor s degree from Washington University and master s and doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. Rosenstone serves on the Governor s Workforce Development Council, the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership, the Itasca Project, the Minnesota Business Partnership, and the governing boards for Generation Next and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Rosenstone is married to Maria Antonia Calvo, Spain s Honorary Consul for Minnesota and the Dakotas. They have three children. 30 7th Street East, Suite 350, St. Paul, MN chancellor@so.mnscu.edu LAURA BORDELON Senior Vice President, Advocacy, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Laura Bordelon is senior vice president for advocacy at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held since November In her role, she leads the organization s public policy, grassroots and political engagement strategies. She directed the Minnesota Chamber s education, telecommunications and energy policy from She was a policy director for Governor Tim Pawlenty from 2004 to 2005 and then was named director of legislative and cabinet affairs in She most recently was director of corporate state government affairs for Medtronic Inc. She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota. Her community involvement includes being a board member of the Minnesota Government Relations Council and the Minnesota Zoo. 400 North Robert Street, Suite 1500, St. Paul MN lbordelon@mnchamber.com BILL BLAZAR Senior President of Public Affairs and Business Development, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Bill Blazar is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Business Development. Blazar directs Grow Minnesota!, the Chamber s statewide business retention and expansion program. This year, Grow Minnesota! completed retention visits with over 900 Minnesota businesses and provided direct assistance to 200 of them. Blazar represents the Minnesota business community on several task forces and study groups, for example, the United State Chamber of Commerce s Labor Relations Policy Committee. He is a past member and chair of the board of the Minnesota Government Relations Council. Blazar has also served in a leadership capacity for Minnesota s P16 Education Partnership, the Minnesota Health Data Institute, the Citizens League and the Lake Calhoun Sailing School. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) and the Loppet Foundation. Prior to joining the Chamber, he was Manager of Government Affairs for Target

5 Corporation from Before working for Target, Blazar was a freelance public policy analyst, specializing in state and local fiscal policy, economic development and telecommunications. Blazar has a B.A. (Political Science) from Northwestern University and a M.A. (Public Affairs) from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. Bill and his wife, Mary Hunstiger, are 30+ year residents of southwest Minneapolis. They have 3 adult sons; one daughter-in-law; and most recently, one granddaughter! 400 North Robert Street, Suite 1500, St. Paul MN bblazar@mnchamber.com DOUG LOON Vice President, Regional Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Douglas B. Loon is vice president of Regional Affairs and Advocacy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Loon manages the Chamber s seven regional offices that are responsible for legislative and political grassroots strategy in all 50 states. He also manages the Chamber s Midwest Region. The mission of the U.S. Chamber s Regional Offices is to develop and maintain each region s legislative, political, and grassroots resources to achieve the Chamber s public policy goals. Loon leads the Chamber's efforts to strengthen its regional operations and relationships with member businesses, associations, and chambers of commerce. Previously, Loon served as director of Congressional and Public Affairs at Chamber headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he served as one of the organization s chief lobbyists before Congress on issues critical to the American business community. Before joining the Chamber staff in 1995, Loon was legislative director to Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. In his 10 years on Capitol Hill, Loon also served as acting staff director for the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and on the Senate Commerce Committee. In addition, he worked for Sen. Larry Pressler of South Dakota. Loon received his bachelor s degree in government and international affairs from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is a graduate of the Congressional Research Service s Institute for Legislative Staff as well as the Federal Election Commission s program on campaign finance laws for incorporated trade associations and membership organizations Prairie Lakes Drive, Suite 125, Eden Prairie, MN dloon@uschamber.com KATHI SCHAFF Director, Grow Minnesota! Partnerships & Business Development, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Kathi is responsible for the development, management, and training needs of the 60 local chambers that comprise the Grow Minnesota! partnership. In addition, she is involved in statewide business assistance on concerns resulting from partnership business retention visits. Hired in 2006, Kathi is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Prior to joining the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Kathi served over 9 years as the president of the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce. She also has experience in community development, serving 8 years as a city planning commissioner. She is currently pursuing a Master s Degree in Community & Economic Development through Penn State University. 400 Robert Street North, Suite 1500, St. Paul, MN kschaff@mnchamber.com SEAN O NEIL

6 Business Development Coordinator, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce 400 Robert Street North, Suite 1500, St. Paul, MN MARK JACOBS Workforce Development Coordinator, Dakota County Mark Jacobs is the Director for the Dakota-Scott Workforce Development Board and Workforce Development Director for Dakota County, Minnesota. The two-county area, located just south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, is a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas and has more than 500,000 residents and 11,000 employers. The Dakota-Scott WDB leads, collaborates and provides linkages that facilitate workforce planning and supports economic development providing individuals, families, employers and the community opportunities to transform lives through optimal employment. Prior to working with the employment programs, Jacobs owned and operated a small business in Burnsville for 14 years. 1 Mendota Rd. W., Suite 170 West St. Paul, MN Mark.Jacobs@CO.DAKOTA.MN.US SANDY FORSTNER Executive Director, Austin Chamber of Commerce 329 North Main Street, Suite 102, Austin, MN sandy@austincoc.com PAT MULQUEENY President, Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce Pat MulQueeny has been the President for the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce for over 13 years and has over 20 years of chamber experience. During his time in Eden Prairie, he has led the Chamber to grow from 370 members to over 500. The Eden Prairie Chamber s membership represents over 32,000 area employees and hosts over 120 events annually. They recently completed an in-depth three year strategic planning process and a key focus area is assisting members with workforce issues as well as connecting businesses with local educational institutions. He is serving his second term on the board of directors for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and he Chairs their Membership Committee Viking Drive, Eden Prairie, MN, pat.mulqueeny@epchamber.org