Head Of Minnesota Chamber Of Commerce Dies
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — David Olson, the longtime president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, has died. He was 57.
His family wrote on his CaringBridge website that Olson died in a hospital Wednesday night after an 18-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He had been doing well but was hospitalized over the weekend after his condition worsened, the website said.
Olson had served as president of the Chamber, a lobbying force representing more than 2,300 businesses at the state Capitol, since 1991. In a statement announcing his death, the Chamber credited Olson for the organization's growth and role as a top-flight business advocacy organization.
"The Minnesota Chamber is stronger than ever because of an excellent board of directors and staff. David built that each and every year," said Jeff DeYoung, managing partner at Baker Tilly and chairman of Chamber's board. "He was also directly responsible for building the statewide voice of business at the Capitol."
Prior to taking the chamber's reins, Olson worked several local business chambers around the Twin Cities.
In a statement, Gov. Mark Dayton said Olson was a gentleman "an excellent leader for, and advocate on behalf of, his members."
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