Letter from the CEO: July 8, 2021

As the new President & CEO at the Iowa Lakes Corridor, I first want to introduce myself to the stakeholders in the region that are investing their time and talent into making this reason strong and special!

As an economic developer that began in rural Nebraska, then transitioned to Carroll, Iowa, my experiences have been broad with regard to project work. On the recruitment side, I have worked with renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, food production, and a number of small business startup and expansion projects. Many of these experiences align with the momentum within the Corridor, and it is exciting to consider the opportunities we have in the coming years.

A big part of my personal philosophy as a professional is to give back. I give back to the community where I live, and especially to young economic developers. I love to mentor those looking to learn, as I am always learning myself. Aside from professional role, I am currently serving on the Professional Developers of Iowa Board of Directors as their Vice President, the NREDA marketing committee, and several others. All of these efforts provide additional opportunities to introduce colleagues to the Iowa Lakes Corridor initiatives and to bring back ideas for implementation locally.

In this first week with the Corridor, my focus has been to learn from this outstanding team. They have made this a seamless transition through their knowledge and effort in the past months. My priorities include meeting those leaders in the Region and visiting our communities to identify what makes them each so unique and special to be preparing for our next steps as the Corridor’s new leader. I look forward to the months ahead as I continue to learn about the Corridor, the region and all of the people that make this a perfect next step for businesses and individuals!