The new decade began with MCEE making a big change: moving from its long-time home on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota campus to a new office in Saint Paul. Along with this change in scenery came a change in leadership, with the Council being led by a woman for the first time.

Dr. Claudia Parliament, an economist and professor at the University of Minnesota, would oversee a period of renewal for the Council as the Economics Challenge spread to more schools and centers across Minnesota, more teachers would receive training in economics through pre-service instruction, and more students were directly served by innovative programs focused on elementary school students. Additionally, in this time the Council reinforced its reputation as a national leader in economic education by hosting study tours, creating new curricula and publications, and collaborating with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis to advance a shared interest in economic education and understanding.

"It has been said that economics is academic and therefore not practical. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the issues relevant to economics are both practical and crucial... Capitalism must more seriously address its own set of challenges in areas such as the environment, unemployment, sustaining economic growth, and so on. To address these challenges, an informed educated public is necessary." - Richard Lichty, Acting Executive Director 1991