Author Archives: Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Diversity & Inclusion Summit and Business Awards

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is hosting the second annual Diversity & Inclusion Summitt, a networking event for professionals on Thursday, October 5, 2012. Diversity & Inclusion Summit, sponsored by Allen Health Systems, will be held at the Allen College, 1990 Heath Street, Waterloo, from 8:00pm to 12:30pm. The Summit provides attendees a concentrated and focused experience with multiple activities to include a keynote speaker, authoritative workshop panel discussions and a stimulating multi-cultural mixer.
Keynote Speaker for the event will be Shirley Davis Sheppard, Ph.D., Vice President of Global Diversity & Inclusion and Workplace Flexibility, and leader in The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Dr. Davis’ presentation is titled, “Leading an Inclusive and Engaged 21st Century Workforce: The Competitive Advantage.” Other local guests will share their experiences including Reverend Abraham L. Funchess, Jr., Human Rights Director for the city of Waterloo and Human Resources Executive Progressive Insurance, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Robovsky, Iowa Army National Guard. Other local business professionals will lead workshops and provide feedback to attendees questions in a panel discussion.
Also during the Summit, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber will announce the call for nominations and application processes for the Diversity & Inclusion Awards to be presented at the 2013 Annual Celebration, March 7, 2013 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, Waterloo.
These awards will be given for outstanding contribution by a business or organization for leadership in creating and strengthening an environment of diversity and inclusion in the workplace culture, business practices and in the community. Deadline for nominations is October 31, 2012.
Participants will receive the book- Inclusion: The New Competitive Business Advantage. There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested no later than September 28th by going to the Events Calendar at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com. More information about the initiative and the awards can be found there.

The Diversity & Inclusion Initiative helps the business & institutions of the Cedar Valley region recognize and act on the business case for adopting and implementing inclusive practices in hiring, employee development, marketing and environment.
For more information about the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Diversity & Inclusion Partnership, Summit or awards call Bob Justis at (319)232-1156 or email bjustis@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

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John Deere & the Cedar Valley . . . What a Partnership!

Celebrate John Deere’s 175 years in business and thank them for their contribution to the economy of the Cedar Valley.

John Deere Fall Fest 2012 will be recognizing and celebrating John Deere Anniversaries on September 6–8, 2012. Come celebrate John Deere’s rich history of tractor manufacturing and product development as it progressed through history in Waterloo, Iowa – the home and birthplace of John Deere tractors.
6,000 direct jobs for talented Cedar Valley People
Supply Chain Jobs throughout the region
Over $150 million annual impact of disposable income alone for services and retailers.
Reinvestment in: Volunteer Leadership, TechWorks Campus, Education Partnerships, Sports Complex, United Way

SO MUCH MORE!

Schedule of events

Farm Crawl to showcase on-farm energy projects.

The Northern Iowa Food and Farm Partnership 2012
Farm Crawl is September 9th from 1 to 5 pm. Eleven
farms in the NIFFP area will be open to the public for an enjoyable
day of exploring the countryside and learning about how
our food is produced. NIFFP is partnering with the UNI CEEE
Farm Energy Working Group to showcase four of the
farms demonstrating innovative on-farm energy projects.
Hansen’s Dairy is one of the showcased farms. Other Farms
included in the crawl from this area are Friedrich’s Fresh
Foods, C’mon Back Acres, Fitkin Popcorn, Hillcrest Farms, and
Rainbow Ridge Farm (another showcased farm.) For more
information call 273-7883 or visit http://www.uni.edu/ceee/
local-foods/farm-crawl/farmcrawl.

Iowa Economy and Lifestyle Top the Charts for Young People

Young people looking for a great place to live and work will find Iowa has more to offer them than the rest of the nation. Iowa’s great economic and lifestyle factors rank the state 3^rd is third in the nations for favorable conditions for young people according to MoneyRates.com. Among the 10 factors in the report where Iowa shines are employment, cost of education, auto insurance, affordable and available housing, nightlife, and healthfulness. Read the entire report.

Responses from Representative Walt Rogers

The following responce is from Representative Walt Rogers to questions posed from GCVAC Director of Government Relations Steve Firman.

Our goal for this year was to continue a budget that is predictable, sustainable and does not spend more than we take in. We accomplished that. Dollar for dollar, we are spending less than we did in 2010. Business owners tell me they need state government to continue in those practices of predictability. My principle of smaller smarter governments rests on the truth that a dollar that stays in the hands of the business owner is more efficiently spent then if it goes to government. I will continue to work for results that follow this belief, even while the opposing party works against this idea.
Tax relief is a must and will continue to be a focus for the leaders in the republican party. We proposed five different property tax relief proposals this past session, each being denied by the Iowa Senate. The Democrats continue to push for a band aid approach of property tax relief, calling for a buy down of rates. This does not fix the systemic problem. We will work for real property and income tax relief. We will also work to eliminate feckless regulations and burdensome rules that hamstring businesses, so that they can turn their profits into jobs.

Representative Walt Rogers

Representing HD 20 –Waterloo,Cedar Falls, Hudson, and Voorhies

(515) 281-3221

Legislative Update

Due to myriad scheduling problems brought on by the relatively late date for ending the 2012 Legislative Session, the Alliance & Chamber decided not to hold our planned Post-Session Legislative Forum Breakfast. In lieu of our breakfast, we sent two questions to all the members, eight in total, of our Cedar Valley Legislative delegation. We received two responses and sent follow-up reminders to the other six area Legislators. We believed their answers to each question would be of interest to you. Please take a few moments to review the answers given by Representative Bob Kressig and Senator Jeff Danielson below. If we receive other responses, we will share them with you.

Thank you for your interest and support of our GCVAC Government Relations program.

Steve Firman, Director of Government Relations
Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Representative Bob Kressig

1. What observations would you share regarding this year’s Legislative activity and its impact on the business community in Iowa?

When the 2012 session began, our top priority was to work together to find common ground and create jobs to grow Iowa’s economy. While there is simply too much partisanship and focus on divisive issues today, we did make good progress this year when we put politics aside and worked together.

First, we took action to help Iowa businesses expand and find skilled workers. A new high quality jobs initiative will help businesses expand while encouraging new businesses to locate in Iowa. We continued the innovation fund to commercialize research at our universities and continued key initiatives at UNI to help entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Second, we took significant steps to build a skilled workforce for Iowa businesses. We expanded training at our community colleges and kept tuition affordable for middle class families. We created new tuition grants for students to fill job openings in shortage areas where businesses are looking for workers and kept local workforce centers open to help Iowans get training or find a job. We also took action to help under-employed Iowans who want to upgrade their skills get the training they need.

2. What issues do you plan to focus on during the campaign season and into next year’s session?

My top priorities remain growing our economy and a skilled workforce. With a skilled worker shortage on the horizon, the state must do more to help businesses get skilled workers who can compete with workers from around the globe. With most jobs now requiring some education or training beyond high school, we have to improve education from pre-school through high school and keep tuition affordable at Hawkeye Community College and UNI.

I’ll continue to work to find common ground on several bills to help businesses that did not become law this year. Despite months of negotiations and $350 million on the table, the Legislature was unable to reach a final agreement on commercial property tax relief. I also supported other initiatives designed to grow our economy including: giving Iowa businesses first preference on state and local government contracts instead of sending our tax dollars out of state; leveling the playing field for small businesses on Main Street; helping local communities revitalize business districts and industrial parks; and encouraging more wind energy production. I’m hopeful we can find common ground on these initiatives next year.

Senator Jeff Danielson

1. What observations would you share regarding this year’s Legislative activity and its impact on the business community in Iowa?

One year does not an economy make. Iowa’s economy is performing better than most other states because we’ve cut state government costs beginning in 2009 and we’ve enjoyed a healthy agricultural export sector. Both have worked together to ensure a stable and positive business climate as evidenced by Iowa continuing to receive high marks from multiple sources for it’s efforts, including a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report placing Iowa in the top ten. As a result, Iowa has a balanced budget with a healthy surplus; in fact the largest since the early 1980’s and a lower unemployment rate than the national average. For these reasons, I’m proud of our efforts to encourage job growth and wealth creation during one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression. Considering Iowa also suffered its worst natural disaster in 2008, ranked #1 as measured by real dollar damage, the current “State of the State” is even more impressive.

2. What issues do you plan to focus on during the campaign season and into next year’s session?

Economies compete for capital investment, business location and customer base. No state can rest on its laurels and Iowa is no different. I will remain focused on pro-growth, progressive ideas that put Iowa in the best position to keep the businesses it already has, expand them and attract new businesses with responsible, sustainable incentives.

My top five job creation ideas are:

1. Lowering commercial property taxes (without shifting the burden to homeowners).

2. Protecting the ability of cities to use tax increment financing (TIF).

3. Funding Iowa Department of Economic Development initiatives (Debi Durham needs resources to leverage partnerships for business location decisions).

4. Supporting the Innovation Council to implement Battelle study ideas for growing Iowa jobs in advanced manufacturing, information solutions and value-added agriculture.

5. Investing in and improving education at every level, including job training at Community Colleges, increasing rigor, relevance and outcomes in local pre-K-12 schools and keeping tuition affordable at Universities, public and private.

I encourage Alliance Members to contact me directly anytime at 319-231-7192 or jeffdanielson@gmail.com. I work for you!

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Cedar Falls Community Main Street

Cedar Falls Community Main Street
Announces New Associate Events and Promotions Coordinator

Cedar Falls, IA – The Cedar Falls Community Main Street Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Emily Yaddof began her duties at Community Main Street August 1 and will be serving as the new Associate Events and Promotions Coordinator.

Yaddof was raised in Northeast Iowa in rural McGregor. She attended Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in Marketing and a degree in Technical Communication. After college, she returned to Northeast Iowa, accepting a position with the Clayton County Development Group where she spent almost two years promoting tourism and economic development opportunities in Clayton County.

Yaddof is thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Cedar Falls Community Main Street team “I have heard very good things about Community Main Street and I am looking forward to the new opportunities my role as Associate Events and Promotions Coordinator will bring.”

Cedar Falls Community Main Street, Inc. is a volunteer, non-profit organization established to foster economic vitality while preserving and promoting the historic image and character of the downtown.

Opportunities Left by PFG

The well documented but still emerging bankruptcy of PFGBEST placed the Cedar Valley of Iowa in the national headlines. In the wake, nearly 200 people were left out of work, financial obligations to global investors, suppliers, and a variety of other interests, including the GCVAC remain unmet. Though this event and its fallout present challenges, it also opens doors of opportunity for Cedar Valley businesses and GCVAC to respond with practical and creative solutions.

A state of the art building filled with advanced information technology infrastructure is now available for growth of a Cedar Valley business, or a new corporate citizen. Further, the availability of former PFG and MyVerona employees provides an opportunity for local companies to hire well trained and highly skilled talent in a wide range of jobs.

To facilitate this, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber established Cedar Valley Talent Connect. In cooperation with our local economic development partners, workforce agencies and the GCVAC investor base, Talent Connect facilitates the match of PFG’s displaced job seekers with businesses looking to hire through job fairs, and web-based tools for sharing resumes and job postings. Beyond the immediate circumstances, Cedar Valley Talent Connect will be further developed and deployed to respond to ongoing demand for skilled, talented people in the Cedar Valley.

The national and regional media attention is providing opportunities to accentuate our talented people and expanding businesses. By concentrating on helping you, our investors, to match your open job opportunities with available PFG talent, and seeking future uses for the extraordinary, available headquarters building, we’re working to keep the demise of PFG from overshadowing the great things that are happening all over the Cedar Valley economic area. We will continue to use the attention drawn by this unfortunate event to present the stories of success of our businesses and talented people of the Cedar Valley. Our – your – resilience and determination to succeed is the correct, lasting storyline.

Skilled Iowa Initiative Launched to Assist Employers and Workers, Stimulate Business Growth

Skilled Iowa Initiative Launched to Assist Employers and Workers, Stimulate Business Growth: In June, Governor Terry Branstad unveiled the new public/private Skilled Iowa Initiative, a program that provides assurances to employers and potential employers that local workforces have the skills and abilities to fill job openings. The initiative will promote Skilled Iowa Communities, areas within the state with a certified workforce through the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) , encourage businesses to hire certified workers when applicable, and provide resources to those looking to improve their skills. The Skilled Iowa Initiative is a critical step in improving the quality of the workforce in Iowa. The program is supported by Iowa businesses, economic development, workforce development and education to enhance the quality of Iowa’s workforce and connect Iowa’s employers to the right labor pool. “This program is the right move for our state,” said Iowa Workforce Director, Theresa Wahlert. “Skilled Iowa provides a universal system of assessing workers’ skills and abilities for employers, as well as promoting workers’ development and improvement.” The program will allow employers to determine baseline skills for potential employees. The program uses a universal testing system that rates the skills and abilities of those in Iowa’s workforce, awarding an NCRC upon completion of the program. The NCRC allows workers to more accurately display their skills to current and potential employers. More details are available at the website: www.skillediowa.org. The Partnership is collaborating with Iowa Workforce Director to market the program, and support and encourage Central Iowa employers to participate in Skilled Iowa. Businesses interested in partnering with the Skilled Iowa program and communities interested in certifying their workforce may contact Denise Schippers at 515-281-7538 or denise.schippers@iwd.iowa.gov.

Grow Cedar Valley