A Message to Our DAMA-MN Community

Spring is arriving in Minnesota, and with it comes fresh momentum across the DAMA-MN community. Data management and data governance have never been more important than they are today. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, complex analytics ecosystems, growing regulatory expectations, and rising demand for trusted information, the disciplines of data management and governance are no longer secondary support functions. They are becoming central to how organizations operate, innovate, and lead.

This is an exciting moment for data professionals, and an exciting time to be part of DAMA-MN. To those who have recently joined the chapter, welcome. We are delighted to have you with us. To our returning members, thank you for renewing your membership and continuing to invest in this community. And to the many friends, guests, and colleagues from around the country and around the globe who visit our website, attend our meetings, and enrich our conversations, thank you for helping fuel the vibrant and growing network that DAMA-MN is becoming.

We are especially grateful for our reciprocity members and the many DAMA colleagues who stay connected across chapter boundaries. We also want to gently acknowledge that sustaining a professional chapter takes real effort, volunteer commitment, and steady leadership over time. To friends in chapters that may have recently gone dormant, including colleagues from DAMA Iowa, please know that DAMA-MN is here for you. We value your presence in our community, we welcome your participation now and in the future, and when the time is right, we are happy to support conversations about what it may take to revive and re-energize local chapter activity.

February was a remarkable month for our chapter. We were honored to host Robert S. Seiner for our February chapter meeting, which became the most attended virtual meeting DAMA-MN has hosted in many years. We thank Bob for delivering a passionate and deeply professional presentation on a more catalytic view of data governance, and we encourage members to explore his new book, The Data Catalyst³ (Cubed): Accelerating Data Governance with Change Management and Data Fluency.

We also partnered with Target Corporation, thanks to Andy Nash, and with the support of Meenu Howland, to facilitate a riveting and highly engaging, sold-out, in-person Data Governance Workshop. It was our first in-person workshop in many years, and the energy in the room made clear just how much this community values practical learning, in-person connection, and serious professional dialogue.

None of this happens without volunteers. Thank you to our board members Carmen, Erik, Matti, Chris, and Dave, Riju and Robin and many others whose generosity, time, talent, and commitment continue to energize this chapter and the broader data management community.

Whether you are a long-time data leader, a practicing steward or analyst, a governance professional, or a student just beginning to explore this field, we are grateful you are here. This chapter is growing, the momentum is real, and there has rarely been a better time to be part of DAMA-MN.

March Chapter Meeting

Data Quality Maturity: A Retrospective of Target’s Product Data Journey

Member Share featuring Andy Nash of Target

Our March chapter meeting continues one of DAMA-MN’s most distinctive and valuable programs: the Member Share. These sessions bring local data management professionals and practitioners into conversation with the DAMA community to share their real-world experience, practical lessons, and hard-earned insights.

This month, Andy Nash, Data Governance and Quality Senior Manager at Target, will share a retrospective on Target’s item data journey and the evolution of its data quality maturity over the past decade. His presentation will explore key wins, lessons learned, supporting tools, and the critical role that people, accountability, operational alignment, and enabling artifacts play in building a sustainable data quality practice.

Attendees can expect practical insights grounded in enterprise experience, including thoughts on scorecards, dashboards, business rule engines, documentation, data catalogs, and the importance of revisiting maturity phases over time.

Andy Nash Data Governance and Quality Senior Manager, Target Andy Nash is a data quality and governance leader with more than 16 years of experience advancing data quality, stewardship, and organizational trust in data. He specializes in building data quality as a core enterprise capability by aligning technology, business processes, and people so data remains reliable and actionable. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} He brings a strong technical foundation together with a practical, business-focused perspective. Andy has contributed to the broader data community through conference presentations, communities of practice, and published work on global data standards. He currently leads a team of analysts responsible for enterprise data quality initiatives, including an enterprise data quality scorecard now in its fourth iteration. His work focuses on delivering measurable value through trusted data, and his March DAMA-MN session promises to offer a thoughtful, practical view into how data quality maturity develops in real operational environments.

CDMP Study Group Momentum

Our Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) Study Group continues to thrive as one of the most active professional development initiatives within DAMA-MN. Participation has exceeded expectations, and the group is currently beyond capacity with members preparing for the upcoming certification exam.

Last year, every participant in the study cohort successfully passed their certification exam — an achievement that reflects both the dedication of our members and the collaborative spirit of the DAMA-MN community.

We are especially grateful to Michelle McGovern for her leadership and dedication in organizing and guiding the CDMP study group. Her commitment to helping fellow professionals deepen their knowledge of data management practices directly supports our chapter’s mission to deliver meaningful value to our members and strengthen the profession.

DAMA-MN will once again host a Pay-If-You-Pass CDMP certification exam opportunity this May, continuing our commitment to helping members achieve professional certification and advance their careers in data management.

Click the banner above to view event details and register for the DAMA-MN Data Career Fair.

Students will have the opportunity to learn about career pathways in data governance, data quality, metadata, architecture, analytics, stewardship, and related disciplines. Employers and practitioners will have the opportunity to share how data work is evolving and why trusted data is increasingly essential to business success.

If your organization would like to participate, mentor students, or support the next generation of data professionals, we encourage you to get involved.

Register for the Career Fair

April Preview

We are pleased to announce our upcoming April chapter meeting featuring Dr. Tom Redman, widely known as “The Data Doc.” Dr. Redman is one of the most recognized voices in the data management profession and has helped countless organizations understand the relationship between people, process, leadership, and trusted data.

His book, People and Data: Uniting to Transform Your Business, continues to resonate strongly with leaders and practitioners alike. Members can learn more and access a special discount here:

https://www.dataqualitysolutions.com/meet-the-data-doc

DAMA-MN is growing, and we’re seeking passionate members to help shape the chapter’s future, strengthen our programs, and expand our impact across Minnesota’s vibrant data community.

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding ways to deepen your professional network, develop leadership experience, and contribute to the advancement of data management in our region.

Open Board Position

• Director of Operations — chapter coordination, process improvement, and operational excellence.

The Director of Operations helps keep the chapter running smoothly behind the scenes — supporting our technology platforms, coordinating processes across committees, and helping the board make data-informed decisions that strengthen member engagement.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Website Development & Digital Experience
• Communications (Newsletter & Social Media)
• Mentorship Program Developer
• Data Career Fair Support
• Strategic Relations Committee Member
• Member Services Committee Member

Whether you have a few hours a month or want to take on a leadership role, your contribution helps strengthen Minnesota’s data management community.

Interested in getting involved? president@dama-mn.org or info@dama-mn.org

DAMA-MN Community

March Chapter Meeting

Andy Nash — Target Corporation

Data Quality Maturity: A Retrospective of Target’s Product Data Journey

A DAMA-MN “Member Share” presentation exploring the evolution of Target’s data quality program, lessons learned, and practical insights for building data quality maturity in complex organizations.

Register for March Meeting

New DAMA-MN Job Board

DAMA-MN members now have access to a dedicated data careers job board. Explore new opportunities in data governance, data quality, architecture, analytics, and related disciplines shared by organizations across our professional network.

View Member Job Board

April Chapter Meeting

Dr. Tom Redman
“The Data Doc”

Save the date: April 15

Join DAMA-MN in April for a special presentation from one of the profession’s most respected voices in data management.

Upcoming Events

Explore chapter meetings, workshops, networking events, and other upcoming DAMA-MN programs.

View Upcoming Events

DAMA-MN Merch

Fueling data governance one cup at a time. Grab official DAMA-MN merchandise and show your support for Minnesota’s data community.

Visit the DAMA-MN Store

2026 DGIQ + EDW Conference

Plan ahead for one of the profession’s signature conferences focused on data governance, information quality, and enterprise data management.

DAMA-DMBOK v3 Project

DAMA International is actively developing the next edition of the DAMA Guide to the Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBOK v3), a major update to the foundational reference used by data professionals around the world.

DAMA-MN members and the broader data community are invited to participate in a listening forum with the project team to share ideas, insights, and recommendations that may influence the direction of the next edition.

If you are interested in participating or learning more, please reach out to our chapter team.

Participate in a Listening Session

Member Value Highlights

Chapter Sponsors