Four years ago this week Dave St. Peter, then age 35, was named president of the Minnesota Twins. In 17 years with the organization he has advanced from intern to president and helped steer the franchise through difficult times while winning division championships and seeing the dream of a new stadium become reality.
Not bad for a guy from Bismarck, North Dakota who doesn’t turn 40 until January, majored in public relations in college and never aspired to be president of a major league baseball team (most baseball presidents have backgrounds in business, law or finance). His “dream job” was to become the sports information director at a college.
Instead of being on a college campus, St. Peter works about 365 days a year for the Twins overseeing strategic business planning and various departments including ticket sales, marketing, broadcasting, stadium operations and finance. Twice during the last four years the Twins have been honored as the Organization of the Year by Baseball America. The Atlanta Sports Council recognized the Twins as the Professional Sports Organization of the Year in 2002. St. Peter has been included on lists of who’s who among leaders under 40 years old.
In the late 1980s he landed an internship with the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. From there he accepted an internship with the Twins. While still an intern he was presented a challenge and opportunity by the Twins. Although he aspired to work for the team in public relations, he was offered a job managing the Twins’ retail store at the Hub Shopping Center in Richfield.
St. Peter describes his willingness to accept the position as the “best decision” he ever made. He went to the Hub with the attitude of showing the organization he deserved a public relations position in the team’s Metrodome offices. Directing a retail operation provided valuable experience in management, staffing and customer relations.
The retail experience advanced his career with the Twins, earning his way into a public relations position. St. Peter said the organization’s willingness to promote from within has contributed to his advancement over the years, too.
“When a front office person leaves, we have a tendency not to go outside the organization. …and in some ways my success with the Twins is all about that,” he said during a recent interview with Sports Headliners.