Minnesota Management & Budget ft. MMB Commissioner Jim Schowalter

The final budget forecast before the 2021 Legislative Session will be announced in early December, and new MMB Commissioner Jim Schowalter can explain what to expect. What will the numbers suggest the outlook is for Minnesota in the new year? What will the forecast tell us about the toll from COVOD-19? Find out on December 8!

About Commissioner Jim Schowalter 

Jim Schowalter was appointed Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) by Governor Tim Walz in September 2020. 

As Commissioner of MMB, Jim Schowalter is the chief financial officer, the chief accounting officer, the state controller, the chief human resource officer, in charge of employee insurance for over 50,000 state employees, and in charge of collective bargaining on behalf of the state. 

Jim previously served as commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, appointed by Governor Mark Dayton in 2011, and as state budget director from 2004 through 2011. As a key advisor on fiscal issues to Governor Dayton, Jim led efforts to resolve a record $6.2 billion deficit through an unprecedented state government shutdown in 2011. His leadership led to an improved credit rating and provided stability during economic downturns. 

Most recently at HealthPartners, Jim served as Senior Vice President responsible for partnerships and agreements with care providers. At the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, he served as President and CEO as the state’s nonprofit health insurers adjusted to the Affordable Care Act and unexpected federal changes. 

Jim received his master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and his bachelor’s degree with a major in economics from Macalester College. He and his wife Stephanie live in Eagan and have two children.