JOBS FOR MINNESOTANS STATEMENT ON LOSS OF CO-FOUNDER DAVID OLSON

St. Paul, Minn. (July 17, 2014) – Minnesotans lost a great leader this week with the passing of David Olson. As president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of Jobs for Minnesotans, David was a tireless champion for growth and prosperity, cheerleading everything that is great about our state. For many of us who knew him as a friend, he inspired and challenged us to see beyond our differences to channel our collective skills and talents to make Minnesota a better place to live and do business. David’s influence is immeasurable and will be long-lasting.

Most importantly, David will be missed for so many of us on a personal level because of the type of man he was and his unique ability to connect with people. He aspired to a type of leadership that is seldom seen these days – he motivated rather than directed. He brought people together from all walks of life to solve issues and collaborate on causes. Whether he was challenging our elected officials to improve the state’s business climate or working with labor leaders to bring more jobs to the state, David always put his best efforts forward and demanded the same of the rest of us.

He was passionate about jobs and business and growth. He was a tough negotiator, but he was always fair, always aware of the greater good and the bigger picture. We’ll miss his guidance and governance, but most of all, we’ll miss his friendship. On behalf of the entire board of Jobs for Minnesotans, our hearts and prayers go out to David’s family, all of his many colleagues and his entire staff at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

Harry Melander
Jobs for Minnesotans Co-Founder

Nancy Norr
Jobs for Minnesotans Board Chair

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Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in October 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council representing 55,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 companies and 500,000 employees. This coalition represents businesses, middle class workers, labor, local governments and other supporters of job creation in the state of Minnesota. Jobs for Minnesotans was created to educate and provide information about the direct and ancillary job creation that the strategic metals mining can produce for the state.

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