CSB president, alumnae listed in magazine’s ‘100 People to Know’ for 2018

College of Saint Benedict President Mary Dana Hinton and two alumnae were listed among Twin Cities Business’ “100 People to Know” for 2018.

CSB graduates Corie Dumdie Barry '97 and Brenda Piette Kyle '86 were also recognized with the honor, which was published in the magazine’s December issue.

Hinton, who has served as the 15^th president of CSB since July 1, 2014, was elected board chair of the Minnesota Private College Council in July, Twin Cities Business noted.

“She’s now speaking out on issues that affect Minnesota’s 17 nonprofit colleges and universities. She will be addressing affordability and access, which are challenges at schools that charge higher tuitions than public schools do,” the magazine wrote.

“As president of Saint Ben’s … Hinton is focused on strengthening women’s leadership opportunities and supporting campus inclusion for all,” the magazine concluded.

Barry, a member of the CSB Board of Trustees, was named the chief financial officer at Best Buy Company in June 2016. She has been with the company for 18 years, steadily climbing the corporate ladder.

The magazine cited her work with Best Buy’s Renew Blue turnaround strategy. “She’s now working closely with (Best Buy) CEO Hubert Joly on Best Buy 2020. That strategy includes accelerating growth in Canada and Mexico and ensuring that Best Buy can excel in a multi-channel retail environment,” the magazine wrote, concluding that Barry is “well-positioned to become CEO of Best Buy or another corporation.”

Barry served as the 2017 CSB Commencement speaker.

Both Hinton and Barry were named in the “Overachievers” category, defined by the magazine as “respected figures of influence, known for longstanding effort and results.”

Kyle was named president and CEO of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Aug. 1, after serving 11 years with the St. Paul Port Authority.

“When the chamber was looking for a new CEO, its board chose someone who knew St. Paul well and had good working relationships with businesspeople and public officials,” the magazine wrote. “Kyle … is now in a position to leverage her knowledge and contacts to expand St. Paul’s economy.

“She was involved in efforts to redevelop the former Macy’s and is working with city leaders on a strategy to add 2,000 tech jobs by 2020,” the magazine concluded.

Kyle was named in the “Emerging” category, defined by the magazine as “leaders or influencers new to a role, whose early efforts will be closely watched by the business community.”

Read the online version of the article in Twin Cities Business.