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Prior to joining AWB in 2010, Kris was president of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. There, he led initiatives resulting in state and federal funding for the Central Corridor Partnership, which will bring light rail transit from downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul. During his time in Saint Paul, he also led a comprehensive rebranding effort of the chamber and played a key role during the Republican National Convention, which was held in the Twin Cities in the fall of 2008. Kris was selected as a Fellow for the Ford Foundation’s focus on Regional Sustainability Development.

Before leading the efforts of the Saint Paul Area Chamber, Kris served as president and CEO of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce in Washington state. While there, he led a regional chamber merger, resulting in the formation of the new Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, representing the interests of more than 1,250 businesses from five states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California. More than 40 of the region’s top business leaders comprised the board of the larger chamber, which promoted economic prosperity for the entire region.

During his tenure, the Chamber was recognized as one of the top ten chambers in the country for membership growth, receiving four “Awards in Communications Excellence” from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. He is certified as a chamber executive by the Institute for Organizational Management (IOM) from the American Chamber of Commerce.

From 1997-2002, Kris served as manager of governmental/public affairs at the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce in Washington.

Kris is a graduate of the University of Montana-Western and the U.S. Chamber Institute program. He and his wife, Katie, and their three children are residents of Olympia.