Lisa Clarke Named Executive Director of Economic Development Agency

The Economic Development Agency has named Lisa Clarke its executive director after a national search. Clarke has served as the EDA’s interim director since 2013 and will continue on a permanent basis as the EDA and DMC move from the planning phase into the development and project phase.

Lisa stood out in a number of areas, including her sensitivity and connection to the community … She has the demonstrated ability not only to conceptualize a bold vision, but also to operationalize that vision and make it a reality.
— Jeff Bolton, chairman, EDA Board of Directors

Clarke has spent 17 years with Mayo Clinic in progressive roles with the past four years focused on providing leadership and strategic direction to bring the DMC vision to life, including serving as DMC EDA’s interim executive director since 2013.

She has organized research, defined the project needs, built relationships throughout the community, managed all aspects of creation of development plan from community engagement to serving as liaison with local government and galvanized the legislation.

Before Mayo, Clarke worked in leadership roles with the YMCA of the USA, as a national consultant for strategic planning and program development; and in the YMCA of the Twin Cities, where she participated in the development of two major downtown facilities in Minneapolis and St. Paul.In December 2014, Clarke was named the Rochester Post-Bulletin’s Newsmaker of the Year related to her leadership of the DMC. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and her MBA from University of St. Thomas.