Minnesota Icons 2024: Patrick Seeb

Destination Medical Center

When Patrick Seeb thinks out loud about aspects of his early professional life that helped him lead high-performing teams over decades, two things stand out as common threads among many high achievers: embracing a broad range of experiences and being fortunate to have wise mentors.

Seeb said he benefited from a variety of experiences early in his professional life. He earned a nursing degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and worked with patients in hospital and clinic settings in intensive care, emergency rooms and psychiatric services. “That work will prepare you for anything else in life,” he said. 

Seeb held administrative positions in the medical field before joining St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman’s team as deputy chief of staff in 1994. A year later, he accepted the CEO position for the St. Paul Riverfront Corporation, a nonprofit organization charged with promoting and designing the Downtown St. Paul riverfront.

In 2015, after 20 years as CEO of St. Paul Riverfront Corporation, Seeb accepted the role of director of economic development and placemaking at Destination Medical Center (DMC), the state’s largest public-private economic development initiative that aims to make Rochester a global destination for healthcare, research and innovation. In 2021, he became that organization’s executive director.

“I had great mentors in my 20s and 30s whose advice I rely on to this day,” he said. “A breakthrough moment came in my mid-30s when one of my mentors said, ‘Stop trying to be the smartest person in the room.’ That is great advice for all young professionals. Find the mentors in your life — the ones who really care about your success — and appreciate their unvarnished feedback. It’s one of the best gifts you’ll ever get.”

Asked to capsulize his career achievements at both the St. Paul Riverfront Corporation and DMC, Seeb said, “There are a lot of buildings or trails or parks that are beautiful additions to both communities. But ultimately, the work we are involved with is to ensure that all members of the community feel welcomed, feel opportunity, and feel they can participate in this prosperity. That is what makes good work great.”