Corridor announces results of first annual Homegrown Talent Initiative Golf Tournament

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) held the first annual Homegrown Talent Initiative Golf Tournament Monday, August 5, 2024 at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course. Sixteen teams participated in this 4-person team, best-ball tournament.

In first place was the team from Skyline Construction, second Bank Midwest, and third place was moveero, Inc. Craig Bussell (Midwestern Mechanical) won the Men’s Longest Drive pin prize, and Keri Sorenson (Avera Holy Family) won the Women’s Longest Drive. Derek Heronimus (Pure Fishing)  had Men’s Longest Putt, and Amber Seitzinger (Avera Holy Family) had Women’s Longest Putt. Jim Higgins (Northwest Bank) won Men’s Closest to the Pin, and Dawn Sassman (Northwest Bank) won Women’s Closest to the Pin. The winner of the Putting Contest and winner of the grand prize of a Blackstone Griddle was Tate Hartzell with Skyline Construction.

“It was a successful tournament to start the Homegrown Talent Initiative,” said Corridor Vice President of Economic Development Trevor Smith. “We were happy to see these teams join us for some friendly competition and supporting workforce development throughout the region.”

Sponsors included Bank Midwest; Beck Engineering, Inc.; Central Bank; Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative; Mahaska; Midwestern Mechanical; Premier Communications; Pure Fishing; Skyline Construction; Spencer Hospital; State Bank; Tyson; and Williams & Company, P.C. Fareway in Spencer also donated water for the event.

“A big thank you goes out to all our sponsors and the teams that participated in our inaugural golf tournament,” shared Corridor President & CEO Curt Strouth. “Being able to support the Homegrown Talent Initiative means bringing young minds back to the region to fill the quality jobs and positions that are open here. We look forward to launching and awarding the first round of grants next spring.”

The Homegrown Talent Initiative is a new program from the Corridor to encourage recent college graduates that grew up within the region to consider coming back, making the Corridor region their home, and filling the high-quality jobs available at local businesses. Beginning in the Spring of 2025, the Iowa Lakes Corridor will award multiple grants to individuals who graduated from a high school in Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, or Emmet Counties and have decided to return to the Corridor’s four-county region to live and work in our local communities. Information for applications will be released in the coming months.

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ABOUT THE IOWA LAKES CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is the regional economic development agency for Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. The Iowa Lakes Corridor’s mission is to foster, encourage, promote, aid or otherwise assist in the economic development growth and development of the four-county region.