After four and a half years at the the helm of the , Bruce Nustad is stepping down as president.
Nustad is leaving the position to become president of the Minnesota Retailers Association, the statewide trade group representing Minnesota’s retail industry.
Nustad has seen the chamber through a tough few years of the economy. With around 900 businesses and 3,000 business leaders, the chamber continues to grow and be part of the west metro community that is "the economic engine of the state," he said.
"The decision to leave TwinWest after four and a half years was not a simple one," Nustad said. "At the height of the poor economy, TwinWest knew our focus needed to be on helping businesses and communities grow, not on making sure the chamber had enough pencils."
He said that often times those with the chamber would say, “We’ve trained 30 years for today,” emphasizing that during the tough times, the chamber should be strong, and it was.
A hiring committee to find Nustad's replacement is meeting this week to hash out the search process. Nustad has heard from people who are interested in the job.
"You hear from quite a few people interested; word is out about it on the street," Nustad said.
He gave his notice in July and begins as the Minnesota Retailers Association President Wednesday, Sept. 5.
The hope is to have a replacement named for the TwinWest Chamber President by mid-to-late October.
A farewell party for Nustad is 4:30-6:30 p.m.Wednesday, Aug. 29, at in St. Louis Park. The chamber asks for people to register in advance if they plan to attend.
