A powerful, private civic group made up of CEOs of major companies and institutional and philanthropic leaders, wields considerable influence in shaping the Twin Cities’ economic agenda.
 
That’s according to New York Times, which profiled the Itasca Project’s behind-the-scenes Working Team. The group of 14 leaders meets weekly to discuss heady topics such as regional growth, economic disparities and racial discrimination.
 
The Times notes that it’s a model for private-sector civic engagement elsewhere, citing the organization’s data-driven approach and success in helping to override then-Governor Pawlenty’s veto on a gas tax hike for transportation projects.
 
“We’re not just asking for lower taxes and less regulation,” said David Mortenson, current chairman of the Itasca Project and CEO of M.A. Mortenson. “If we’re taking on education or income disparity as a group of business leaders, we want to be able to break some eggs.”
 
The entire article can be found here.