Corridor awards two Homegrown Talent Initiative Grants

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced two grant award winners for the Homegrown Talent Initiative recruiting young minds back to the Corridor’s four-county region: Callan Hinn and Taylor Krager.

The Homegrown Talent Initiative is a new program by the Corridor to encourage former students of the region’s schools to come back to the Corridor and fill the high-quality jobs available here. Recipients of the grant will receive $6,000 paid over four years to be used toward student loan repayment, mortgage payments, or childcare reimbursement.

Applications were accepted through the winter, and 22 applications were received. The top six applicants scored by the Homegrown Talent Committee were invited to participate in in-person interviews with the committee. The top two selected and awarded the inaugural Homegrown Talent Initiative Grants were Callan Hinn and Taylor Krager.

“We are building a culture of growing our own workforce talent in the Iowa Lakes Corridor region and sharing those stories,” shared Corridor President & CEO Curt Strouth. “Being able to support individuals who graduated from our region and decided to come back home to start a career and family is very rewarding and we look forward to sharing many more stories just like this in the future.”

Originally from Spirit Lake, Callan Hinn has moved back to rural Dickinson County. She works as a full-time RN/BSN and an OR/Surgery Nurse at Spencer Hospital and a PRN as an OR Nurse at Lakes Regional and Avera McKennan when needed. Hinn attended Iowa Lakes Community College, then the University of Northern Iowa, and finished schooling at Allen College.

“Returning to my hometown was one of the most rewarding choices I’ve made, and receiving this grant has made the experience even more impactful,” said Hinn. “I’m excited to stay in the region after having moved away, to be close to family and where I can continue growing both personally and professionally. This grant has helped ease the burden of student loans and given me the opportunity to put down roots and give back to the community that shaped me.”

Taylor Krager grew up in Peterson and recently moved to Lakeside after attending Buena Vista University where she graduated in May 2024. She currently serves as a Customer Experience Specialist at Farm Credit Services of America in Storm Lake.

“Thank you to the Iowa Lakes Corridor for this generous grant – I am truly grateful for the support!” shared Krager. “I’m excited to stay in the region and begin building my life and career close to home, surrounded by people and places that mean the most to me. I am very thankful for this opportunity and to be in such a wonderful community!”

“It is wonderful to award Callan and Taylor with the first Homegrown Talent Initiative grant awards,” said Corridor Senior Vice President of Economic Development Trevor Smith. “Through their application and interview, they’ve shown a commitment to the Iowa Lakes Corridor region and building a life right here. We are glad to be able to support them both in that journey.”

Funding for the awards was raised through the first annual Homegrown Talent Initiative Golf Tournament held last August at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course. The second annual tournament will be held August 1, 2025 at Emerald Hills Golf Course to support awards going forward. Contact the Corridor at 712-264-3474 or info@lakescorridor.com to learn more about the program.

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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.