Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Timothy J. Morin to the Midwestern Higher Education Commission.

Morin, of Minneapolis, is a strategic marketing and business development executive with an emphasis in e-commerce and software development. He is currently executive vice president of business development, marketing and sales with Four51, Inc., in Eden Prairie. His previous positions have included serving as vice president of global marketing and business development with SoftBrands Inc.; co-founder, chairman and co-CEO of Wizmo Inc.; and co-founder and managing principal with Tunheim Santrizos Company.

Morin earned his bachelor of arts degree in journalism and mass communications from Regis College in Denver, Colorado, where he was a recipient of the REGIS Student Leadership Scholarship. He is a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota Private Colleges Council, where he chairs the public policy committee; co-founded Social Venture Partners Minnesota; and worked with the Minnesota Legislature to fund Mandarin curriculum in Minnesota schools as well as legislation that provided initial seed funding for the India Center at the University of Minnesota. Morin replaces David Laird on the Midwestern Higher Education Commission as the Governor’s designee to complete a four-year term that expires on January 3, 2011.

The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) is an interstate compact of 12 Midwest states devoted to advancing education through cooperation. MHEC is one of four compacts nationally that provides greater higher education opportunities and services in their regions. The commission is made up of five members from each state, including three gubernatorial appointees, one State Senator, and one State Representative. The MHEC member states are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.