Minneapolis (Feb. 8, 2016) --- Meet Minneapolis, Convention and Visitors Association, has announced the election of eight new members to its Board of Directors. Members include Tim Baylor, chief operator of JADT Food Group, LLC; Andrea Christenson, broker/real estate at Cushman & Wakefield; Lea Hargett, principal of JOG Associates, LLC; Dara Rudick, president and CEO of Management HQ, LLC; Margaret Anderson Kelliher, president and CEO of Minnesota High Tech Association; Kathleen Lamb, partner of McGrann, Shea, Carnival, Straughn & Lamb; Duane Ramseur, president and CEO of North Central Minority Supplier Development Council; and Linda Higgins, Hennepin County Commissioner.

The new board members each bring strategic expertise and extensive knowledge of the city to help build and carry out Minneapolis’ tourism and hospitality job growth strategies. Each will serve a two-year term on the board, and members may serve two consecutive two-year terms.

“Meet Minneapolis is honored to welcome each of these new board members,” said Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis President and CEO. “Each of them will bring strong voices and leadership to the board. Because our work cuts across so many industries and involves a wide range of partners, it’s exciting to see the array of expertise that the new members will bring to our organization.”

Meet Minneapolis congratulates and thanks outgoing members Pete Mihajlov, partner of Parasole Restaurant Holdings; Joann Neau, senior vice president at Abbot Downing; Nancy Goldman, president of UNITE HERE-Local 17; and Susan Franson, director of national sales at Delta for serving two terms on the board and for their tremendous work in boosting tourism and events in Minneapolis.

Meet Minneapolis has also named new board officers, who will begin their two-year terms at the first board meeting of 2016 on Feb. 17. They include Chair Bob Lux, principal of Alatus, LLC; Vice Chair Mark Andrew, owner of Greenmark Enterprises, LLC; Secretary-Treasurer Julie Batliner, president of Carmichael Lynch/Spong; and Immediate Past Chair Rob Moor, CEO of Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx.

Meet Minneapolis currently has 44 members on its board, representing local businesses, corporations and public organizations from a variety of industries.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit to the greater Minneapolis area.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of the Destination Marketing Association International.

Find out more:

Online: www.minneapolis.org and http://go.minneapolis.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meetminneapolis?ref=ts

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/meetminneapolis

On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/meetminneapolis/

MEDIA CONTACT

Matt Laible, Meet Minneapolis Director of Public Relations & Communications 612.767.8220, mattl@minneapolis.org

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