Dickmeyer, who had been the chamber's president and chief operating officer, replaces David Jennings, who has accepted the position of chief operating officer for the Minneapolis Public School system. Under Jennings and Dickmeyer, the Minneapolis chamber became a key player in the public policy and economic development arenas.

Dickmeyer's experience in economic development was one of her strong points in getting the top job, says Lisa Bormaster, chair-elect of the Chamber's Board of Directors.

Dickmeyer joined the chamber in September 1999 as the former national marketing director of the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of America, based in St. Peter, MN. Prior to her work with the scholarship foundation, she served five years as the executive director of Valley Industrial Development Corp., a non-profit economic development organization created to promote industrial growth in Mankato, MN.

The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce represents 2,000 member businesses in 68 Twin Cities metro communities. The goals of the organization are to pursue an aggressive economic development agenda that is focused on recruitment of businesses and will market the Twin Cities internally and externally; to advance a public policy agenda that addresses regional issues; and to lead a focused effort to attract and retain talented, qualified workers and advocates for upgrading existing workers' skills.