Coffee with Commissioners: Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED)
February 11 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Virtual – Live/Online
Fee: Free
RSVP Today!
Join us for an engaging conversation with the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Matt Varilek. Discover how DEED’s initiatives impact the nonprofit sector and explore opportunities for collaboration to strengthen communities across the state. From workforce development to economic growth to paid family leave, learn how DEED’s work aligns with nonprofit missions to drive meaningful change. Don’t miss this chance to engage with a key leader shaping Minnesota’s economic future and gain valuable insights to advance your nonprofit’s impact.
Coffee with Commissioners is a series hosted by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council on Foundations, with generous support from Greater Twin Cities United Way. Coffee with Commissioners aims to support the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors’ understanding of state government.
RSVP for the event on Zoom
Event Details
This virtual event will take place on the Zoom platform. Your access link will be emailed to you the day before the event.
This session will be recorded. The recording will be made available to registrants for 14 days after the live event.
Speaker Information
Matt Varilek became the DEED Commissioner on June 20, 2023. Since late 2016, he served as President of the Little Falls-based Initiative Foundation, which supports economic and community development in the 14 counties and two sovereign tribal nations of Central Minnesota. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), regional administrator for U.S. SBA Region VIII, and a candidate for Congress in South Dakota. He also served as an Economic Development Director and Speechwriter for the offices of U.S. Senators Tom Daschle and Tim Johnson, and Director of Policy and Research for Natsource LLC, an energy brokerage based in New York. Commissioner Varilek earned a B.A. from Carleton College, a M.Phil. in Economic Development from the University of Glasgow, and a M.Phil. in Environment and Development from the University of Cambridge. He lives in rural Benton County near Rice with his wife and three children.