Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and the former chairman of Medtronic will be among those serving on the board of Destination Medical Center Corp.
Gov. Mark Dayton and Mayo Clinic unveiled their picks this morning to serve on the board charged with overseeing the largest economic development project in state history.
Dayton, who had until today to choose four members, appointed Rybak; James Campbell, retired group executive vice president of Wells Fargo & Co. and a Byron native; Tina Flint Smith, Dayton's chief of staff; and Susan Rani, president of Rani Engineering.
Mayo Clinic, meanwhile, appointed Bill George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic and member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees.
"Knowing the great importance and lasting significance of this initiative, I have selected well-respected, effective leaders with proven records of success; people who can see the big picture and then actualize it," Dayton said in a prepared statement. "The men and women I have asked to take on this important work are as excited as I am by this tremendous opportunity and are strongly committed to its success."
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Campbell and Smith were appointed to six-year terms on the board. Rani and Rybak were appointed to four-year terms. The governor’s appointees still need to be confirmed by the Minnesota Senate. The chair of the board must be one of Dayton's appointees.
The eight-member board will help determine how $585 million in public funds are used to support Mayo Clinic’s planned $6 billion, 20-year expansion in Rochester.
Mayo's appointee, George, is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and serves on the boards of Exxon Mobil and Goldman Sachs.
"Bill George brings a wealth of experience to the DMCC, having led one of the most respected global medical companies in the world," Mayo Clinic President and CEO John Noseworthy said in a statement. "Bill’s experience and expertise will be a critical asset to the work of helping shape the DMC vision and building the exciting future of Rochester and Mayo Clinic in Minnesota."
Dayton selected his four appointees from a pool of 20 applicants. Legislation passed this session required all the appointments to the Destination Medical Center Corp. board be made by today. The Olmsted County Board is expected to vote tonight on which of its members will be appointed to the board. The other appointees are Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede and Rochester City Council member Ed Hruska.
In an interview, Rybak said he is honored to serve on a board overseeing what he described as "the most significant economic development opportunity in Minnesota in my lifetime."
He said he has a strong connection to Rochester, having traveled many times as a child to Mayo Clinic, where his mother was treated for lupus. His wife and her family are also from Rochester.
"I fully understand why it is important to make sure that progress keeps going because attracting people to Mayo also means we have to attract even more people to Rochester," Rybak said. "It’s a great place now, but I think it can be even greater if it’s done strategically, so it’s a huge honor."
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Rybak is not seeking a fourth term as mayor of Minneapolis. He will be stepping down at the end of the year.
Campbell grew up in the area, graduating from Byron High School in 1960. The retired banker said he has a strong interest in promoting quality health care and is eager to get to work on the DMCC board.
"I’ve always had a deep interest in the quality of health care here and understand its competitiveness with the likes of Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins and other major health care destinations both in the United States and the world," he said.
Smith played a crucial role in helping get the Destination Medical Center legislation passed this year at the Capitol, after the governor asked her to help get a final package put together. After spending so many hours working with Mayo Clinic, city and county officials and local legislators, Smith said she is eager to help make Destination Medical Center a reality.
"What I hope is that I can help make sure that Mayo Clinic and the city and the county and the community are all working together and really listening to each other," she said.
Smith added that board members will be faced with a unique challenge because "there’s no road map. Nobody has ever done this."
