2024 Executive of the Year:

Sandy Sweetser
Executive Director, Local Organizing Committee for Gymnastics City USA, Minnesota Sports & Events
Honoree Highlight Video
From the time she was in the fifth grade Sandy Sweetser was driven by her passion for sports. She knew then what she wanted her career path to be - she would attend The Ohio State University, work toward a Bachelor’s degree in business, pursue her Master’s degree in Sport Management, then secure an exciting position with a professional sports franchise! Thanks to guidance from legendary mentor, Dr. Bill Sutton, lots of hard work, and a little bit of luck, that dream became a reality.
Following college graduation, Sweetser packed all of her belongings into her car and headed north to Minnesota. And as they say, the rest is history. She has been a fixture in the Twin Cities’ sports and entertainment industry for more than three decades spending the majority of her career with high profile organizations including the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, Mall of America/Knott’s Camp Snoopy, and Target Center arena.
In 2019, Sweetser founded her own consulting company, Cardinal Resources LLC, with the mission of helping organizations develop, market and execute successful events. Cardinal Resources’ very first client was North Country Region-USA Volleyball, followed shortly thereafter by Minnesota Sports and Events (MNSE). As MNSE has grown, so has Sweetser’s role within the organization. She serves as Event Marketing and Management Consultant focusing on world-class events that positively impact the state and region’s economy, image, and quality of life.
Most recently, Sweetser served as the Executive Director of the 2024 Gymnastics City USA Local Organizing Committee overseeing the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, USA Gymnastics Championships, and numerous ancillary events. For 10 days in June 2024, Minneapolis became “Gymnastics City USA” and Minnesota became “the state of Gymnastics” with the Trials setting all-time attendance and ticket sales records. Sweetser’s next assignment with MNSE is to serve as Co-Executive Director of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, the world’s premiere junior hockey event, which will take place in Saint Paul and Minneapolis in late December 2025/early January 2026.