Minneapolis has reached into the ranks of major league baseball to run the city's Convention Center. The city announced Tuesday that it has hired Steve Ethier, who once worked as the Twins' manager of stadium operations and now works for the Major League Baseball commissioner's office as senior manager of security and facility operations. He'll be the center's executive director in charge of a staff of more than 200 people and a budget of $33 million.
Veteran of major league baseball will run Minneapolis ConventionCenter
July 16, 2008 at 4:50AM
City coordinator Steven Bosacker, to whom Ethier will report, said he was impressed by Ethier's experience in managing large venues, including Miller Park in Milwaukee.
He said that Ethier's work will be to increase the national and regional draw of the convention center. The city's operating subsidy for the center has grown to an estimated $15.5 million this year, or fivefold since 1997. The center draws more than 600 events annually attended by 800,000 people.
Ethier will assume his post on Aug. 7, shortly before events associated with the Republican National Convention bring a spotlight to the convention center.
He worked for 14 years for the Milwaukee Brewers after his Twins job, overseeing day-to-day operations of Miller Park. He also headed ballpark operations for the Washington Nationals. At the commissioner's office, he was responsible for security and emergency preparedness with the 30 major league teams. He is a University of Minnesota graduate.
STEVE BRANDT
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