Dickmeyer, who had been the chamber's president and chiefoperating officer, replaces David Jennings, who has accepted theposition of chief operating officer for the Minneapolis PublicSchool system. Under Jennings and Dickmeyer, the Minneapolischamber became a key player in the public policy and economicdevelopment arenas.

Dickmeyer's experience in economic development was one of herstrong 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 formernational marketing director of the Citizen's Scholarship Foundationof America, based in St. Peter, MN. Prior to her work with thescholarship foundation, she served five years as the executivedirector of Valley Industrial Development Corp., a non-profiteconomic development organization created to promote industrialgrowth in Mankato, MN.