Minnesota biz journalist to become Department of Commerce PR

Nicole Garrison-Sprenger, a business reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, has resigned to become a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, according to a memo posted on MinnPost.com.

The memo, from senior business editor Doug Iverson, states, “Since joining the newspaper three years ago this week, Nicole has played a leading role in some of the newspaper’s highest profile work. The Ramsey Town Center series, awarded a national certificate of merit from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and the Denny Hecker coverage, recently highlighted by the Wall Street Journal, are just two examples.

“We knew Nicole had a lot of energy when she joined us. She came with a mile-long source list,  a catalogue of story ideas  and a deep understanding of the financial beat.  She soon showed us she was also a quick study who could jump in on a breaking story off her beat and still trounce the competition. Watching her work these past few years has been inspiring. Equally inspiring has been Nicole’s commitment to the profession, exemplified by her tenure as president of the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.”

Read more here. Her position apparently won’t be filled. Garrison-Sprenger had also spent three years at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.