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For Immediate Release Donnelly CEO Fills Key Interim U.S. Senate Chief of Staff Post
Alexandria, Minn. (12/19/02) Æ After serving a two-month stint as interim Chief of Staff within the U.S. Senate, Donnelly Custom Manufacturing CEO and Founder Stan Donnelly discovered that the right kind of business expertise can prove valuable in national politics. Toward that end, Donnelly says many of the successful practices used at his plastics-injection molding company played a key role in helping advance major political initiatives, including the Homeland Security Bill. Donnelly returned to the helm of Donnelly Custom Manufacturing this month after serving as temporary Chief of Staff for Senator Dean Barkley (I-MN). Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura appointed Barkley to fill the seat left vacant by the late Senator Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash in October. Barkely subsequently invited Donnelly to serve as his Chief of Staff. Shortly after arriving in Washington, Donnelly worked closely with Barkley to help pass the Homeland Security Bill, as well as legislation that provides $10 million in federal funds toward construction of a St. Paul Community Center to memorialize Paul and Shiela Wellstone. He also worked with Barkley to advance legislation that extends Minnesota's TANF welfare reform initiative. With little time to prepare for action, Donnelly and Barkely immediately set into motion a number of unique practices that have helped Donnelly's company succeed in the ultra-demanding injection molding "short-run" niche. "The first thing I did was set up a War Room, just like we have at our plant in Alexandria," said Donnelly. "It's a 30 minute meeting held each morning where we analyze our previous day's learning, set priorities and stay focused on our goals. Just like in our plastics business, this war room looked back 24 hours and forward 24 hours only." "The concept also allowed us to effectively manage time, which was severely limited," continued Donnelly. "So rather than measuring performance in terms of machine hours, we gauged our success in terms of positive meetings with the White House, fellow senators and the press." Donnelly said he also relied on a proven technique that has helped many business leaders reach their goals: he delegated responsibilities to a talented team. "There are a lot of people on Barkely's staff who are specialists and experts in their professions," he said. "So rather than reinvent the wheel, we did what we do at Donnelly: we put experienced and skilled people in charge of key assignments and it worked. Just as I have been fortunate to be surrounded by terrific people in my business, I was just as fortunate in Washington as well." Additionally, Donnelly said he saw many similarities between the role of U.S. Senate Chief of Staff and the CEO of a company that specializes in short-run manufacturing. "The Senate is similar to short run customers in that the work flow is very fluid and you have to be flexible and agile. There is absolutely no fixed schedule in business and there isn't in the Senate either. "The minute I stepped foot into my temporary office in Washington, I realized that I was to play a serious role in this post—despite it's unfamiliarity to me. By drawing on the processes and methodologies we have in place at Donnelly Custom Manufacturing, the staff performed magnificently in a chaotic environment. Looking back, it was a great experience and I take pride in what we were able to accomplish in just two months. I guess I'm a short-run specialist, both in plastics and in politics," he said. About Donnelly -- end -- |
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