Blake Chaffee serves as deputy commissioner at Minnesota Management and Budget overseeing the Enterprise Employee Resources Division. In that role, Blake sets direction for the Compensation and Classification, Employee Insurance, Human Resource Management, Enterprise Talent and Development, Labor Relations, and Employee Experience functions, fostering an inclusive, equitable work environment.
Before joining MMB, Blake served as vice president of improvement and analytics at the Minnesota Hospital Association. He played a crucial role in aligning workforce strategies for 128 member hospitals and health systems, improving healthcare services.
Blake's extensive state government experience includes serving as deputy commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), where he led the state unemployment insurance program’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing over $14 billion in relief to more than 900,000 Minnesotans. He also led the creation of community review panels for grant-making and executive hiring to ensure traditionally marginalized voices were heard within the agency decision process. Additionally, he led initiatives to improve agency workplace culture and inclusion.
Blake began his career working for former Congressman James Oberstar, and has extensive experience in the communications field, having worked in Governor Mark Dayton’s communications office before moving to DEED as director of the Communications, Analysis and Research Division.
