MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) and Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) announced today that Steve Cramer, President at Project for Pride in Living (PPL) for the last ten years, will serve as the organization's new President and CEO, effective December 2, 2013.  

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A proven organizational and community leader, Cramer has worked at the intersection of public, private, and non-profit sectors: as a Mayoral appointee; as the Executive Director of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency (known today as CPED); Director of the Hennepin County Department of Housing, Community Works, and Transit; and service at PPL as their Director of Housing, Chief Operating Officer, and President.  Currently, Cramer serves as the Chair of the Minnesota Ballpark Authority and serves on the Boards of the Minneapolis Consortium of Community Developers, the Twin Cities Community Land Bank, the Twin Cities LISC Local Advisory Committee, and the Northside Achievement Zone.  

"Steve brings an incredible background to our organization, and understands first-hand how critically important Downtown Minneapolis is as the engine of prosperity for the city and the region," said Collin Barr, President of Ryan Companies North Central Region and MDC/DID Board Chair.  "For more than 25 years, Steve has led organizations through growth and change, while working successfully with both board members and staff to consistently move things forward.  His solid strategic planning skills, deep economic development experience, and his demonstrated major fundraising and business development strengths all contributed to our decision.  His long term knowledge of Downtown Minneapolis will prove highly valuable as we work in collaboration with the broader Downtown Minneapolis leadership in moving The 2025 Plan forward."

"I consider the MDC/DID as a 'blue ribbon' organization, and I'm excited about the position on many levels.  My prior work with the private sector, government, and community interests has helped me understand constituent relations, operations, and communications.  It will be a privilege to use that experience to shepherd The 2025 Plan into reality," noted Cramer. 

In addition to his previous experience, Cramer has served as a Minneapolis City Council Member from 1984-1993.  Cramer, his wife, and their two children, live in the City of Minneapolis where he runs daily on the Mississippi Parkway. 

With a B.S. in Urban Planning from the University of Tulsa, Cramer went on to receive a M.A. in Public Affairs from the Humphrey Institute of the University of Minnesota.  Past volunteer work includes: the Minnesota House Advisory Committee; Fannie Mae National Housing Impact Advisory Committee; Minnesota Task Force to End Homelessness; Minnesota Multi Housing Association Board of Directors; Greater Twin Cities United Way Housing Impact and Basic Needs Committee; the Sustainable Resource Center; Catholic Charities Board of Directors; St. Joseph's Home for Children Advisory Board; and the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

Russ Nelson, President and CEO of Nelson, Tietz & Hoye, and a former Board Chair of the MDC, led the Search Committee, and commented, "The diversity of our committee helped us recruit and interview a widely diverse pool of exceptional candidates.  Our final decision came down to selecting Steve for the depth and breadth of his background.  This is work he is familiar with at a time he is ready for new challenges."

Members of the Committee included: Nelson; Barr; Tom Hoch, President and CEO of Hennepin Theatre Trust; Deborah Hopp, Publisher, MSP Communications; John Wheaton, Partner, Faegre Baker Daniels; David Wilson, Managing Director, Accenture; and John Griffith, Executive Vice President, Target.

As Cramer begins his new role in early December, Betsy Buckley, who has served as the interim President and CEO since late June, will provide on-boarding services through her executive coaching and consulting company, What Matters.

About the Minneapolis Downtown Council Founded in 1955, and one of the oldest central business districts in the nation, the Minneapolis Downtown Council is a membership based entity that works to create, preserve, and enhance a vital and engaging experience for the people who invest, work, shop, visit, and live in downtown Minneapolis.  The MDC's collaborative development of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan was designed to help downtown business,  community leaders, and citizens build on downtown's assets and implement future goals.  For more information, visit www.downtownmpls.com.

About the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement DistrictFounded in early 2009, after more than five years of formative planning and advocacy by the downtown business community, the Minneapolis DID delivers higher levels of service, designed to make downtown cleaner, greener, safer, and more vibrant throughout a 120 block downtown area.  The non-profit DID is funded largely by charges to commercial properties within the 120 block area, as is the case with most Business Improvement Districts.  For more information, visit www.minneapolisdid.com.

SOURCE Minneapolis Downtown Council and Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District

RELATED LINKShttp://www.downtownmpls.com