Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty announced today that Dana Badgerow, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Administration, is leaving her post on May 11, 2009 to join the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota, as its President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Dana has a remarkable track record of innovation in both the private and public sector.” Governor Pawlenty said. “She is a true change agent and has been a tireless reformer. Thanks to her efforts, the behind-the-scenes things that make state government work better for our citizens have been significantly improved.”

Since her appointment in October 2004, Commissioner Badgerow has been instrumental in the Pawlenty Administration’s efforts to reform and improve the delivery of government services. Commissioner Badgerow served as chair of the Governor’s Drive to Excellence Sub-Cabinet. Among her achievements are:

• Creating more “one-stop shop” opportunities for easy access to government services for citizens and business customers
• Reducing the cost of delivering government administrative services
• Increasing the electronic delivery of government administrative services
• Improving the statewide availability of broadband communications through partnerships with key private and public stakeholders
• Implementing Lean Enterprise across state government, creating a culture of continuous improvement, and achieving dramatic improvements in service delivery

“I’ve truly enjoyed tackling Governor Pawlenty’s challenge to make government more efficient, effective and customer-friendly,” Commissioner Badgerow said. “I am both amazed and gratified by the extent to which the Drive to Excellence reforms have been embraced throughout state government, and the results achieved are indeed remarkable, thanks in large part to hundreds of state employees who took on this challenge. The support of my fellow Commissioners and the Governor have also been key to these accomplishments. I leave state service with mixed emotions – delighted to be taking on a new challenge in the private sector, but wistful about leaving behind the best job of my life to date.”

Until her appointment, Badgerow served as vice president and general manager of MTS Systems Corporation, a global Minnesota-based designer and manufacturer of physical testing equipment and software and environmental sensors. She previously served as Commissioner of Administration from 1991 until 1993 while on leave from Honeywell, Inc., where she was last employed as vice president of global operations and customer access.

The Department of Administration's 500 employees offer a diverse range of services to state and local government, the education community and citizens. These government services include facilities and maintenance, building construction planning and management, purchasing and procurement, contracting, vehicle leasing, demographic and census data and geographic information technology.