Michael Darger, Extension Specialist, Community Economics Director, University of Minnesota-Extension

Michael is is a community economics specialist who manages UMN Extension’s Business Retention and Expansion program. His current education and research interest is business succession and transition (BST). He is researching business owners’ understanding, attitudes and preparation for succession and transition. A related interest is the conversion of businesses to employee-owned businesses such as ESOPs, cooperatives, or employee ownership trusts. He also teaches Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) courses to economic development audiences and provides BRE consulting and applied research for Minnesota communities. He has served on the boards of economic and community development organizations and edited a book in 2019 Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) A Practical Approach to Economic Development (Rutledge). He serves on the board of the Northeast Investment Co-op in Minneapolis.