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The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Minnesota group visited The Hormel Institute on Monday and met with Executive Director Dr. Robert Clarke and Chief of Staff Elizabeth Fedie.

Leadership Minnesota is a program that connects business leaders from across the state and gives them a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the state’s economy tick.

“We tour different industries across Minnesota and talk with industry and organization leaders about the economy in that area of the state, what drives the economy, what challenges there are, how folks are innovating and changing and doing things differently to really make Minnesota a place where businesses can thrive and grow,” said Jenny Munyer, Vice President of Member Development and Engagement at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

The group spent time in conversation with Clarke, learning about The Hormel Institute’s groundbreaking medical research, technology advancements, and future plans, then toured the facility. Their tour included a stop at the cryoelectron microscope, where Dr. Jarrod French, head of the Nucleotide Metabolism and Drug Discovery lab, described how the microscope works and its impact on biomedical research.

“The Hormel Institute is such a great partnership of private sector, public sector, the medical community, and it really shows how different communities can come together to do really great things not only for this part of the state, but our entire state, and with The Hormel Institute, the entire world,” Munyer said.