Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Ryback Source: ci.minneapolis.mn.us

When Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak speaks, he does so as one whose outward passion stems from his inner conviction.

Ask him to list his top priorities for the city, and he doesn´t hesitate. After all, he has them listed on his website.

For a man of unwavering belief in the power of his city, however, he talks a lot about the need to change, about a community that is in transition from what it was when he took office in 2001 into what it will be by the time he is done.

Whether it´s taking on a popular governor over spending cuts or beating out Sunbelt cities for a prized corporate headquarters, Rybak isn´t afraid to take the gloves off if that´s what´s necessary to win a battle.

When Denmark-based Coloplast opened its 192,000-sq.-ft. U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis in June, Mayor Rybak presided over the celebration. The event put a capper on the city’s victory over San Diego and Atlanta.

The $38-million office campus brings 400 jobs in research and development and other operations to the city and further stamps Minneapolis as the national leader in medical device technology.

The fact that the building sits on a 4.5-acre brownfield site along the Mississippi River and will soon achieve Silver LEED certification only adds to Rybak’s legacy as a transformer.

The lifelong Minneapolis resident and son of a pharmacist competes hard to win jobs for his city, even as he seeks to remake it.

In a recent interview with the IAMC Dispatch, Rybak outlined his vision and priorities for Minneapolis – and delivered some timely advice to IAMC members who will visit his city in September for the Fall 2009 Professional Forum:

IAMC DISPATCH: What makes Minneapolis unique?
MAYOR RYBAK: Minneapolis is one of the most sophisticated urban centers in America, but it also has a small-town friendliness and a great natural environment. We have 100 miles of bike trails, plus lots of lakes, creeks, waterfalls and the Mississippi River.

ID: What is your vision for the city?
RYBAK: Minneapolis is a great city but it can be even greater if we build the economy. We will continue to successfully diversify our industry, continue to be one of the artistic and creative capitals of the country, and be a leader in sustainability.

ID: What are your top two or three priorities this year?
RYBAK: The first is to make Minneapolis a safe place to call home. Second, create jobs and opportunity. Third, build great places. Fourth, support the next generation.

ID: How would you describe your leadership style?
RYBAK: My leadership style is to surround myself with people who are smarter than me and listen to them. There are 385,000 people who live in Minneapolis and they give me a lot of great ideas.

ID: How would you characterize the opportunity for businesses to thrive in your city?
RYBAK: Minneapolis has always been an incubator of opportunity, starting in the early days as the milling capital of the world. Today, we are a creative hub and the medical device capital of America. We have an extraordinarily talented and creative work force. We have an environment that is all about innovation and a remarkably attractive quality of life.

The Dakota Jazz Club is a popular Minneapolis nightspot Source: http://www.groundspeak.com/

ID: How important was the opening of the Coloplast headquarters in Minneapolis?
RYBAK: Having a multi-billion-dollar Danish firm choose Minneapolis is extremely important. The jobs matter a great deal. So does the signal that the medical device capital continues to attract top companies from around the world. They looked at Atlanta and San Diego, but they were attracted to our educated and trained work force, a spectacular site on the Mississippi River, our existing cluster of medical device companies, and the proximity to the University of Minnesota.

ID: Your city recently received the highest credit rating from both Fitch and Standard & Poor´s. How were you able to achieve that?
RYBAK: When I became mayor, we said to the community that we could do great things, but we also needed to have strong fiscal management. We paid down $90 million in inherited debt, increased the size of the police force and created job training programs that have served more than 10,000 people.

ID: One of your goals is to make Minneapolis a wireless city. How is that project coming along?
RYBAK: We are making great progress. We will be the first big city in America to go wireless. We are most of the way there; we should be finished in a few months. We are inventing many things as we go along. It is not free wireless, but it will provide wireless services for all city functions and low-cost, high-speed access to all city residents. We will also create a Digital Inclusion Fund to help cross the ‘digital divide.’

ID: How do you plan to make Minneapolis a national leader in solar energy?
RYBAK: It can get cold here sometimes, but we sure do have a lot of sun. We are using solar energy to power our police and fire stations and our Gold LEED-certified public works facility. The largest solar project in the Upper Midwest will be installed at our convention center. We also provide incentives for residential solar systems.

ID: What was the most important lesson you learned on your recent trip to China?
RYBAK: I was invited to speak at an economic development conference in the Great Hall. Minneapolis and Geneva, Switzerland, were featured as economic models. I met with leaders in Beijing and Shanghai. I learned a tremendous amount about progress on clean energy and many manufacturing initiatives. China will be a strong global competitor, but it will also be a partner as we continue to find ways for these two world leaders, Minneapolis and China, to work together.

Global Market features restaurants serving ethnic and international cuisine Source: www.worldsavy.org

ID: our members meet in your city Sept. 19-23, what sights will most surprise them and why?
RYBAK: Mid-September is a spectacular time here. There are the beginnings of the fall colors. There are beautiful temperatures then. People who haven’t been to Minneapolis will be surprised at how exciting it is with one of the best art scenes, our restaurants and our night life. The city is far more diverse than what you saw on the The Mary Tyler Moore Show. There are lots of Fortune 500 headquarters. I hope people will have a great time at the IAMC Professional Forum and take time to explore the arts, take a run or ride a bike.

ID: What are the most important public improvement projects going on in Minneapolis right now?
RYBAK: Conventioneers will find two main streets being reconstructed. That inconvenience is part of creating transit malls that will dramatically improve bus, bike and pedestrian access. We have entirely rebuilt the 35W bridge that collapsed. We are just opening the new University of Minnesota football stadium and will soon open the new Minnesota Twins baseball stadium. About $1 billion of investment into arts and civic buildings have occurred in our city recently.

ID: Our members are always looking for the best places to dine and socialize while visiting a city. What are some places IAMC members should visit while they are in town?
RYBAK: They should enjoy lunch at the Global Market, about two miles from the convention center, where there are foods and entrepreneurs from many countries. They should enjoy jazz at the Dakota and experience our very walkable downtown. Plus, they should take in our nightlife in the Warehouse District, our riverfront park and our chain of lakes.