11:00AM Mobilizing the ‘Burbs (Roundtable)

A significant subset of MN’s population lives in suburbs. They’re changing dramatically (transportation, diversity, foreclosures). Among many reasons, they’re too easily pegged as being conservative, well-to- do and lacking culture (i.e., cookie-cutter lifestyles). In reality, suburbs are still relatively new – and changing fast. The question is: How do we effectively engage people who live in suburbs? How do we direct their attention away from soccer and sprawl – there I go with the generalizations – to issues/event etc?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicholas Banovetz is skilled at mobilizing people and connecting key players to help create change in the
fields of education, health care and the environment. Those three areas form his focus at Padilla
Spear Beardsley, where he works in the investor relations and corporate communications as a
senior account executive.

Nicholas is a highly effective organizer, both inside and outside Padilla. His rallies have attracted
thousands and fund-raisers have garnered tens of thousands.

Most recently, he served as campaign manager for State Sen. Sandy Rummel’s 2010 re-election.
He fund raised more than $70,000, drew 500 people to house parties and engaged more voters
through door knocks than any other senate district in Minnesota.

Nicholas is currently a member of the communications committee for the Minnesota Chapter
of the U.S. Green Building Council, and is on the emerging leaders and communications
committees for the Citizens League. As an avid runner, he chaired the media relations committee
for the Twin Cities Marathon Inc. in 2008 and 2009.

Prior to Padilla, Nicholas conducted marketing for American University Library while earning
his master’s degree in public communication. He played a key role in developing and executing
the library’s nationally award-winning marketing campaign – a plan that has since been
published to aid other libraries with community engagement. He also served as director of the
annual American Classic 5K – Race for Humanity in Washington, D.C., which he co-founded to
raise money for Habitat for Humanity; the 5K has cumulatively raised $100,000 since inception.

Nicholas earned his bachelor’s from American University in economics and communications. He
interned with the office of Minnesota U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, The Center for Public Integrity,
The Council for Excellence in Government and the New South Wales Chamber of Commerce in
Australia.