BLUE EARTH - The new Go Minnesota director will take the reins of the fledgling economic development corporation on Monday.

Doug Uhrhammer was interviewed along with three other candidates last week.

Faribault County-based Go Minnesota began about a year ago and hired David Piggott as its director. He died unexpectedly in October.

Jeff Lang, Go Minnesota board chairman, said Uhrhammer was offered the job last week.

"We had probably a dozen resumes of people I would consider to be highly qualified," Lang said. "We had a selection committee through the board and they brought in what we would consider the highest-qualified candidates. We were looking at three things: Education, experience and results. In the end, Doug was the unanimous choice of the interviewing committee."

Lang said several qualities made Uhrhammer stand out.

"No. 1 is his education and experience," he said. "He is the epitome of what we had hoped this partnership would be able to accomplish. He is a seasoned economic development professional who is able to hit the ground running with a breath of experience."

The board also favored Uhrhammer's "down to earth, very personable communication style."

"He has a way of communicating effectively," Lang said. "He put everyone on the interview committee at ease with his answers to fairly tough questions. He had a nice style that really put those people at ease, which I think will be important."

And, most importantly, Uhrhammer has a history of getting results, Lang said.

Uhrhammer and his wife live in Big Lake, but he is originally from Sherburn.

"My mother still lives there," Uhrhammer said. "My father was the plant manager of the Fox Lake Power Station. I have a lot of relatives in the area and it was a good opportunity for me."

He plans to sell his Big Lake home and move to the area.

"I've been in the business since 1980," Uhrhammer said. "I worked for city management for seven years, in the power industry for 11 years, was the vice president for the largest co-op in the state doing development work. I worked at a consulting firm for six years doing economic development and consulting. I worked for a private developer for five or six years and then the market went bad. I've been in the business for a long, long time from a lot of different markets."

Most of that experience was in Minnesota.

Uhrhammer was drawn to the Go Minnesota position for several reasons, including being closer to his family. His wife also will be closer to where she grew up - Mountain Lake.

"I know the economy down there really well," Uhrhammer said. "Most of my relatives are farmers in the area. (The job) is a challenge and it's a great challenge. It's the perfect location to try to go back and make something happen, which I think I can do."

Uhrhammer worked in Windom during the farming crisis as the city's first development director.

Uhrhammer earned his undergraduate degree in economics and earned his masters in city management and planning, with a specialization in development and economics.

Lang said Uhrhammer's successful results were one of his strong points. Those include, Uhrhammer said, developing many successful business and industrial parks and developing housing and residential areas.

"I've been pretty successful at setting things up so businesses have opportunity to grow," he said. "I know the marketing field and how you get new businesses to take place. In Faribault County, my hope is that I can make some things happen as far as business retention as well as expansion. I will set the foundation for long-term goals, and it isn't going to happen overnight."

Uhrhammer will meet with different industries and proceed from there.

"We have to search for our opportunities and make them happen," he said. "That's what I'm going to do. ... I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to be fun, exciting."