Managing Director, Itasca Project

Ballinger | Leafblad is pleased to conduct the search for a Managing Director, Itasca Project at The GREATER MSP Partnership.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW 
The GREATER MSP Partnership is a cross-sector economic development partnership of more than 300 leading businesses, cities, universities, counties, foundations, and community organizations. The GREATER MSP Partnership works to grow the economy of the 15-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul region and create economic opportunity for everyone. The mission of the GREATER MSP Partnership is to accelerate regional competitiveness and inclusive economic growth. To do this, the partnership is executing a comprehensive regional economic development strategy focused on growing jobs, talent, and capital across the region.

The 15 counties are: Anoka, Carver, Chicago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, LeSueur, Mille Lacs, Pierce, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, St. Croix, Washington, and Wright. 

ITASCA PROJECT
The Itasca Project was integrated with the GREATER MSP Partnership in 2022. For roughly 20 years, Itasca has been an employer-led and fact-driven alliance committed to increasing the region’s economic competitiveness, improving quality of life, and expanding opportunity for all. Through its integration with the GREATER MSP Partnership, a renewed Itasca expands its capabilities to frame and positively impact long-term issues that improve the region’s competitiveness and create equitable prosperity. Itasca will also foster a more robust and diverse ecosystem of civic leadership across the region. 

By bringing Itasca into the GREATER MSP Partnership, the partnership: 

• Establishes a dedicated long-term focus that bridges community and civic leadership development and economic development — both necessary for equitable regional prosperity. 
• Engages even more business and civic leaders to build and drives solutions to our challenges and to strengthen our collective ownership of those solutions. 
• Continues to increase the diversity of community voices involved in identifying regional challenges and designing solutions. 
• Strengthens efforts to develop and connect civic leaders across sectors, generation, and geography. 
• Creates more — and more meaningful — ways for the many participants in Itasca and The GREATER MSP Partnership to engage across a range of issues. 
• Increases the effectiveness of the implementation of Itasca task force recommendations by leveraging The GREATER MSP Partnership’s unique capabilities to transform ideas into action. 

To learn more, visit itascaproject.org.

HISTORY 
The Itasca Project, a volunteer-driven group of leaders from business and other sectors, was founded by business leaders in 2004 to address long-term challenges that impact prosperity for all employers and residents of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region.

Itasca produced many original studies over the years with recommendations that rallied leaders to act on issues such as early childhood development, transportation, affordable housing and economic development. In fact, Itasca research on job growth during the 2008 Great Recession led to the founding of the GREATER MSP Partnership.

Since 2011, public and private sector partners have worked together through the GREATER MSP Partnership to create jobs, market the region, build the region’s talent base and promote the local startup ecosystem.

Recent GREATER MSP Partnership /Itasca collaborations include the Regional Economic Indicators Dashboard, which tracks progress on economic growth against peer regions; Business Bridge, a local supplier-diversity accelerator; and ConnextMSP, which ensures that young professionals of color in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region are recruited, hired, and supported by local employers as they launch their careers.

MISSION
To accelerate regional competitiveness and inclusive economic growth.

IMPACT AREAS 
GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE ITASCA PROJECT: 
Unique contribution on a limited number of issues. Participants agree on a limited number of priority issues that will address regional economic vitality, quality of life, and prosperity for all. We identify a unique role for Itasca to play and bring resources to bear on the selected issues. 

Facts first. We invest the time and resources required to get the best shared fact base and to understand best practices prior to working on an issue. We use these facts to define issues critical to our regional economic competitiveness and to gauge the likely impact of Itasca Project involvement. 

Cross sector, diverse perspectives. We work in partnership with many organizations across the region to accomplish an identified goal. Our approach is non-partisan; we connect many perspectives and points of view to make and sustain meaningful progress and grow our civic infrastructure. 

Impact driven by participants. We rely on each other to create impact. Itasca participants are responsible for shaping the focus of the group, and they own the execution of the strategies that support the initiatives on which we focus.

POSITION PROFILE
MANAGING DIRECTOR, ITASCA PROJECT
The Itasca Project Managing Director will play a central role in driving cross-sector collaboration across the region’s economy and fostering a more robust and diverse ecosystem of civic leadership in MSP. 

• This is a leadership role with important visibility and responsibility for growing the Itasca Project as a leading platform to make impact across the region and state.
• The Managing Director will lead and partner with CEOs and senior executives across the region, including a committed Executive Leadership Council, Working Team, and range of partners from a diverse set of organizations.
• The Managing Director will have investor relations, revenue generation, and budget management responsibilities for Itasca.
• The Managing Director oversees Itasca’s dedicated staff and reports to the GREATER MSP Partnership CEO, while working in partnership with other members of the GREATER MSP Partnership senior leadership team.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES 
Shape and communicate the overall direction of the Itasca Project, including strengthening its capabilities as the regional platform connecting current and emerging MSP leaders motivated to collaborate in order to positively impact challenges critical to the region’s competitiveness and equitable regional prosperity. Oversee achievement and communication of Itasca’s annual work plans, including sourcing, scoping, and executing key initiatives and other actions aligned with the region’s economic strategy. 

Example work includes: 

• Providing thought leadership through original research and data aggregation, leveraging subject matter experts to frame recommendations for local leaders.
• Hosting catalytic regional convenings that bring influential people together across sectors to create consensus on key challenges and solutions.
• Building task forces that identify and frame long-term challenges and opportunities for the region, along with bold ideas for solutions.
• Working with cross-sector leaders to establish early-stage partnerships that can operationalize bold ideas and deliver results. 
• Facilitate engagement and drive collaboration among the Itasca Project’s key teams & partners, including designing & leading meetings and strengthening relationships & culture.
• Managing the Itasca Project Executive Leadership Council, working in partnership with the Chair and Vice Chair to ensure the council makes key decisions and opens doors as key champions.
• Leading the Itasca Project Working Team, guiding members as they consider regional challenges and prioritize opportunities to address them through Itasca.
• Administer both the annual Young American Leaders Program (YALP) and Minnesota Young American Leaders Program (MYALP), including committee-based selection process, orientation, program debriefs and attending other special events.
• Collaborate with the University of Minnesota's Center for Integrative Leadership on the MYALP program, to ensure successful execution and strategic alignment of planned programming.
• Designing regular meetings and events of Itasca’s full participant group, including finding opportunities to forge new partnerships and strengthen relationships across sectors.
• Partnering longer term with established programs and groups aligned with Itasca’s core purpose.
• Building relationships with key business executives, elected officials & government staff, philanthropic and education leaders, and others Direct a team of staff members and consultants executing the work of Itasca, including fulltime Itasca Director and Coordinator, and both paid and in-kind contributors to specific initiatives.
• Maintain Itasca’s business model and lead development efforts, including managing the annual budget process, contribution asks, and grant opportunities in consultation with the GREATER MSP Partnership CEO and Operations team.
• Develop and implement an effective communications and engagement strategy, including working with the GREATER MSP Partnership Marketing and Communications team on media relations and key audiences, including CEOs, government officials, philanthropic, and education leaders.
• Leverage opportunities to align with other priorities and work across the GREATER MSP Partnership, including collaborating with other members of the GREATER MSP professional staff team.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• 10+ years of professional experience in business, government, and/or the non-profit sector; experience in management consulting, non-profit leadership, or economic development preferred
• 5+ years of senior executive leadership experience, including working with diverse teams
• Bachelor’s degree required, graduate degree strongly preferred
• Demonstrated strength in stakeholder management and relationship-building
• Ability to manage a distributed team and engage multiple stakeholders, including private, non-profit, public, and across multiple experiences/backgrounds of stakeholders
• Highly skilled at executive-level communication; able to serve as a credible spokesperson, capable of telling the region, Itasca, and The GREATER MSP Partnership story
• Ability to successfully engage with private sector executives and/or have an appreciation for the role for business in civic issues.
• Creative and strategic problem-solving; demonstrated strength in taking complex civic challenges and charting a path forward based on data and evidence
• Excellent organizational, planning, problem solving, quantitative, and strong critical thinking skills with the flexibility to respond to shifting priorities and new opportunities 

Additional Competencies & Cultural Commitment

• Content knowledge and existing relevant relationships a plus
• Entrepreneurial mindset (passion, enthusiasm, self-starter)
• Unassailable personal integrity, ability to be objective and impartial
• Comfortable working with a high degree of ambiguity
• Demonstrate a commitment to advancing Diversity/Equity/Inclusion (DEI) principles
• Strong technical skills with MS Office suite, especially Power Point

Travel Requirements: Access to a reliable vehicle to commute to and from meetings often within 30 miles. There may be national/ international travel required to events/conferences.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 
The salary range for this position is $185,000-$205,000 plus performance bonus eligible. Compensation includes participation in the comprehensive benefits plan. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 
The GREATER MSP Partnership maintains a hybrid work environment. The current required in office days are Wednesdays and Thursdays and other days as needed. Paid parking is provided for all staff. 

TO APPLY 
Inquiries may be directed to Lars Leafblad: lars@ballingerleafblad.com or Damon Shoholm: damon@ballingerleafblad.com

Applications will be accepted until October 4, 2024 or until the position has been filled, which may be earlier. There will be an immediate and ongoing review of candidates, so we encourage and appreciate early applications. All inquiries will remain confidential.