U.S. Senator Tina Smith recently stopped in Rochester to tour One Discovery Square, the healthcare innovation campus that opened in 2019.
Senator Smith served as Chair of the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board (DMCC) when it approved the construction of One Discovery Square in 2017, and she participated in the building’s groundbreaking later that year.
Over the past four years, Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith has provided valuable leadership to the DMC initiative as chair of the Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors.
During her tenure, she has helped guide the DMC from its initial start-up, through the detailed planning, to the present where hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment are now underway in Rochester in support of the DMC vision.
Lieutenant Governor Smith has resigned from the DMCC board of directors; we wish her the best in her new role representing Minnesota in Washington, D.C.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Rochester, Minn. (Nov. 2, 2017) – The Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors today recognized significant progress toward several private developments, public infrastructure, business development, and planning goals of the Destination Medical Center initiative.
A significant highlight shared with the Board focused on job growth. More than 3,300 jobs were added since 2014 and construction activity at the four DMC-funded projects will result in more than 1,000 combined construction jobs.
The Board specifically acknowledged today’s groundbreaking by Mortenson on their Phase 1 building at Discovery Square.
“Discovery Square will be the place where Minnesota’s next generation of medical start-ups will want to be. It will create new opportunity for jobs, innovation, and economic growth and represents a major step toward fulfilling our mission of building America’s City for Health,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith, chair of the DMCC Board of Directors. “I thank Mortenson, Mayo Clinic and the Rochester community for their work on the Discovery Square project. This is great news for Rochester and our state.”
Former Medtronic CEO and business ethics leader Bill George called Destination Medical Center “the most important thing for Minnesota’s future” in an interview with TPT’s Almanac last week. George, a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees, was appointed as the Mayo representative to the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board, which is the governing board responsible for overseeing the DMC initiative.
“… It’s brand new – it’s a whole new idea that has never been tried here – I’m not sure where it’s ever been tried,” he said of the $6 billion economic development initiative that will leverage Mayo Clinic and private development to ignite growth and create jobs over the next 20 years. “I see this as the most important thing for Minnesota’s future,” he said. “This is making Minnesota a health care mecca. Our best opportunity for economic growth, jobs and good health is making Minnesota the healthiest state in the nation … that should be our goal.”
Tina Smith, Chief of Staff for Governor Mark Dayton, was unanimously selected as chair by the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board at its inaugural meeting last week.
DMCC was created as part of the (DMC) legislation passed in May and serves as the public governing board charged with overseeing the implementation of DMC. The law outlines the appointments of the eight members of the DMCC Board, with Governor Dayton appointing four, the City of Rochester appointing two, Olmsted County appointing one and Mayo Clinic appointing one. Governor Dayton’s appointees include Smith, former Wells Fargo executive James Campbell, Rani Engineering President Susan Rani and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. City of Rochester representatives are Mayor Ardell Brede and Council member Ed Hruska. Olmsted County’s representative is Commission President Jim Bier. Mayo Clinic’s representative is former Medtronic CEO Bill George, who is a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees.
The Board directed Smith to retain independent legal counsel to review and propose Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws for the DMCC, as well as take steps to develop the DMC work plan. Both action items will be discussed at the next meeting of the Board, which is expected at the end of September.
Thursdays on First, a weekly festival in downtown Rochester, was the site of community brainstorming and visioning for DMC. Over 80 DMC ambassadors have been working to talk with individuals and groups in the Rochester community and surrounding region about what they would like to see grow over the next 20 years. Visioning boards were full of ideas by the end of the day, including everything from increased transportation options to suggestions for restaurants, entertainment venues and social activities. Ambassadors also handed out free DMC t-shirts with the slogan “Let’s Build This Thing” – an invitation for community members to become part of the DMC initiative.
Community members are encouraged to continue sharing their ideas through the DMC Blog, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Watch coverage of the Thursdays on First event from KAAL.
DMC in the news:
DMC convenes first meeting – Rochester Post-Bulletin
$6 billion makeover of Rochester and Mayo underway – Minneapolis Star Tribune