Q&A: McLaughlin looks to ‘sustain the energy’ at Twin Cities LISC

Peter McLaughlin is no stranger to public service.

After a nearly three-decade run as a Hennepin County commissioner, McLaughlin took on a new job four years ago as executive director of Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), an organization dedicated to increasing economic opportunities for people in under-served communities.

On the county board, McLaughlin led efforts to expand mass transit and transit-oriented development, among other initiatives. He lost his reelection bid in November 2018. But as he sees it, the transition to Twin Cities LISC was a logical next step as he continues to engage with the community.

“I always liked being able to go out in every little nook and cranny in the community and talk to people. Sometimes they’re mad, sometimes they’re not. The madder they are, the more I wanted to be there, though, so somebody couldn’t put words in my mouth,” McLaughlin said with a laugh.

“But I just I got a lot of energy from that.”

These days, McLaughlin is focusing his energy on Twin Cities LISC, which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. The organization provides “capital, strategy, and know-how” to Twin Cities community development partners, including BIPOC developers, according to its website.

Since 1988, Twin Cities LISC has invested $1 billion and leveraged an additional $2.9 billion for local community development projects. Those investments, LISC says, have created affordable housing for more than 17,000 families, greater financial stability for 8,000 people, and 2.4 million square feet of new or renovated community and commercial space.

A graduate of Princeton University with a master’s from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, McLaughlin served in the Minnesota Legislature for six years before he was first elected to the County Board in 1991.

In the following interview, McLaughlin talks about Twin Cities LISC, its work with BIPOC developers and other topics. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Read the full interview here.