Questions?
Hi! I’m Alexis Gurkin, your Executive Director for MinnesotaCIO.
**Build trust.**Foster relationships. Gain leadership advantage.
MinnesotaCIO is a peer-based approach to helping CIOs maximize their leadership effectiveness, create value, reduce risk and share success.
Connect. Recognize. Inspire.
By convening Minnesota & Fargo’s leading CIOs in environments and experiences where members own the program agenda, CIOs build meaningful professional relationships with colleagues facing similar challenges.
Connect
Join leading Minnesota CIOs to collaborate and share best practices, solve problems, and accelerate executive learning.
Recognize
The Minnesota CIO ORBIE Awards recognizes technology executives for leadership, innovation and excellence.
Inspire
Invest in your team through Inspire Leadership Academy, offering leadership development programs for Executive Leadership Teams & high-potential leaders in your IT organization.
Meet the CIOs leading MinnesotaCIO
MinnesotaCIO is led by an advisory board of CIOs from prominent organizations in Minnesota & Fargo who set the direction for our events, membership, and annual awards program.
Tammylynne Jonas
Terminix
TK Balaji
Post Consumer Brands
Thomas Schaeffer
Old Republic Title
Kevin Baartman
Dairy Queen
John Avenson
Minnesota Twins
Jim Jones
Great River Energy
Dennis Keane
Red Wing Shoe Company
Casey Gordon
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Inspire Your Team
Attracting and developing talent is fundamental to the success of every great leader. An exclusive benefit of Inspire membership is access to the Inspire Leadership Academy, offering leadership development programs for CIOs, CISOs, Executive Leadership Teams & high-potential leaders in your IT organization.
You can’t find a higher class of talent and great people than what is now currently encompassed within DallasCIO. I don’t call these people colleagues, I call them my friends and for me that’s important to be part of an organization like that.
Sherif Mityas, Chief Experience Officer
There’s no textbook that tells you how to be a good CIO. The best way you can learn and keep up with what’s going on is to talk to your peers and share best practices. I think our companies are much stronger because we have this incredible network.
Becky Blalock, CIO (fmr)
I have 100+ people now that I can reach out to you and say, “I’ve got this problem...how did you handle it?" And sometimes getting advice on what not to do is as important as getting advice on what you should do.
Lee Crump, Group VP & CIO
Senior executives are pressed for time. So, we have to be very picky about what we attend and what we sign up for. With InspireCIO, there are so many good opportunities to connect with CIOs. There’s never really a lack of opportunity to meet and greet or just spend quality time with other CIOs.
Jay Ferro, CIO
InspireCIO gives me the opportunity to ask my peers their feedback on different vendors, technology challenges, and how they are solving problems. I very seldom deal with significant technology challenges without reaching out.
Brian Shield, VP IT
The answer is in the room. Are you?
Connect Across Chapters
Interact with Inspire members and attend events at any InspireCIO chapter.
Attend National Events
Connect with prominent CIOs from across the country at national events exclusive to Inspire level members.
Develop Your Team
Receive credit toward enrolling direct reports in Inspire Leadership Academy.
MinnesotaCIO is limited to the CIO or equivalent executive role of a local organization with over $100 million in annual revenue. Organizations with over $1B in annual revenue may enroll additional CIOs who qualify.
Meet Our MinnesotaCIO Underwriters
MinnesotaCIO is supported by executive level, strategic Partners known as Underwriters. Senior executives representing these organizations serve on MinnesotaCIO's Advisory Board and attend the CIO-led, non-commercial chapter leadership programs.