Shakopee Hires New Economic Development Coordinator

For the first time since the Bush years, Shakopee has a new, full-time economic development coordinator: Samantha DiMaggio, who will be responsible for shepherding business development deals with companies like Emerson or Compass Data Center from conception to fruition.

"I believe that this is very easily one of the most important hires we've made in a long time," Mayor Brad Tabke said at the council's March 19 meeting, when DiMaggio's hire passed 4-1. "This is extremely important to the future—growing jobs and economic development." 

The city first created the position in the late 1990s, said City Administrator Mark McNeill, and continued unchaged until it became vacant in 2006. McNeill said the position was scaled down to half-time, then simply added to another employee's duties. That changed after the last city election.

"When the new council was elected a year ago, in January, they made it a priority to make it full time again," McNeill explained.

Money for a full-time economic development coordinator was added into the 2013 budget. Over the first months of the year, the city solicited candidates. Over 20 hopefuls applied. The pool was whittled down to eight, then three. The candidates were vetted by city management, the Shakopee Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Advisory Committee and Greater MSP. 

DiMaggio stood out from the pack. For one thing, she is no stranger to Shakopee. Though she is a native of northern Minnesota, she has lived in the city with her husband and three children since 2005. 

She also can boast of an unusual professional journey. DiMaggio went from a teacher to loan officer for the state's Department of Employment and Economic Development in less than 10 years. 

DiMaggio has a degree in elementary education from St. Cloud State. She taught at the Bemidji district for a year, but was laid off along with 30 other teachers due to budget cuts.  

"I went into teaching at the wrong time," DiMaggio said. "I was lucky to get the job at the workforce center."

DiMaggio took a temporary job with the East Grand Forks Workforce Center in 2001, helping clients find work. The position suited her talents, as it turned out.

"What's exciting to me about it is creating jobs and new opportunities for others," DiMaggio said. "People have this fear—'Oh, I've been trained in one thing and I can't do anything else.' I think they'd be surprised at how many transferable skills they have."

DiMaggio's tenuous position has unexpectedly blossomed into a longstanding career. In 2005, she was promoted to business service specialist at the Burnsville Workforce Center, which prompted the family to move to the Twin Cities area. There she covered Dakota and Scott Counties to work with businesses, to see if they could benefit from state aid. 

In 2008, DiMaggio was promoted again, to loan officer in St. Paul at the Office of JOBZ and Business Finance. There she helped build incentive packages to lure businesses into Minnesota. DiMaggio was part of the team that sealed the deal on the Chart Industries project, an Ohio-based manufacturer that recently broke ground on a $23 million expansion project in New Prague. The expansion is expected to bring 80 new jobs to the town. 

Now, DiMaggio will be on the municipal side of the table. April 15 was DiMaggio's first day with the City of Shakopee. In her position she will be responsible for attracting new businesses to Shakopee, aiding expansion of those already here, and arranging for city aid to start ups.