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IEDA Director Durham says Cedar Valley is “doing a lot of the right things”

EDA Director Debi Durham with Cary Darrah in Cedar Falls with Carol Lilly Mill Race kitchen

IEDA Director Debi Durham speaks with Interim CEO Cary Darrah and others at Mill Race in Cedar Falls on Thursday, March 22, 2018

WATERLOO, IOWA (March 23, 2018) – After touring several sites throughout the Cedar Valley, the head of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) told a group of community leaders, “I think you’re doing a lot of the right things here.”

“I do not know where economic development and community development end because in my world they are one and the same,” Durham said. “As I drive through (the Cedar Valley), your community is doing that.”

But if she had one suggestion for the region, it would be this: “You just need to tell more people about (your community). You need to be bolder in your marketing.”

Debi Durham, IEDA Director, made those comments to the Board of Directors for the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber during a late Thursday afternoon presentation at the new Courtyard by Marriott Waterloo Cedar Falls on the TechWorks Campus in north downtown Waterloo.

Marketing Iowa, Cedar Valley

Durham claimed her number one role is to the state’s cheerleader – “sell Iowa to Iowans” – and she took to that role when she bragged about U.S. News & World Report’s recent Best State’s Ranking that placed Iowa in its No. 1 spot.

Showcasing what Iowa has to offer is necessary because Iowa’s population isn’t growing and there just aren’t enough workers to fill current and future jobs. Communities need to step up marketing to help workers elsewhere make the connection that Iowa is a great place to live and work, she said.

Standing in a renovated John Deere manufacturing site, Durham also talked about her passion for the historic preservation of buildings. “I consider myself a building-hugger,” she said borrowing and modifying a term for environmentalists. The return on investment for Historic Tax Credits used for projects such as SingleSpeed, the former Wonderbread factory turned-brewery, has a huge impact on revitalizing and transforming Iowa’s downtowns, she said.

“These are all the storylines that you should be telling people,” Durham said.

Manufacturing as a Strength

“We are relevant, and we are relevant on a global stage,” she said. “Iowa, regardless of administration, we manage our fiscal house.”

To grow the state’s economy, her office focuses on “playing to our strengths” of Financial Services, Biosciences, and Advanced Manufacturing. All three are mature platforms that need information technology’s innovation.

About advanced manufacturing, she referred to the Cedar Valley, “This is who we are. This is our DNA … When I think of manufacturing, I think of this area.”

She feels that TechWorks Campus could become Iowa, and the nation’s “go-to place” for additive manufacturing in the nation. “I think you have the ability to do that,” Durham said.

Manufacturing represents the largest industry type in IEDA’s portfolio, with 83 percent of those incentives going to existing companies that are expanding, she said.

With Durham on a day-long tour of the Cedar Valley was Beth Balzer, Team Leader for IEDA’s business development team. Balzer’s team has a goal to visit more than 400 mostly small to medium manufacturers throughout the state this year “connecting them with the resources Iowa has in this space.”

Resources for Startups, Existing Businesses

Durham and Balzer began their day at Mill Race Coworking where they learned about local efforts to provide support to startup and existing businesses, including storefronts on Main Street Cedar Falls.

“It’s interesting: I don’t think I see any other community making the connection with Main Street,” Durham said.

She also toured University of Northern Iowa’s Additive Manufacturing Center in Tech 1 on the TechWorks Campus before meeting with Hawkeye Community College’s Dr. Linda Allen and Brad Kinsinger in the Alliance & Chamber boardroom.

Durham spent the day in the Cedar Valley at the invitation of the Alliance & Chamber’s Interim CEO, Cary Darrah.

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Public is Invited to Help Create Great in Cedar Valley Schools

Fundraising Campaign Kicks Off to Fund The Leader in Me

(Cedar Valley of Iowa) – Leader Valley, a talent development initiative of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, is asking businesses, individuals and foundations to join in the efforts to equip every student in the Cedar Valley with tools for effectiveness in life and work.  The Create Great fundraising campaign seeks to raise $7 million for the expansion and sustainability of The Leader in Me throughout the Cedar Valley.

The Create Great Campaign will officially kick off at the Alliance & Chamber’s annual New Teachers Breakfast on Aug. 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Hilton Garden Inn, Cedar Falls.

“Our ultimate goal is for students to be prepared for career, college and citizenship,” says Dr. Linda Allen, president, Hawkeye Community College. “Our businesses here in the Cedar Valley will no doubt see a difference in these young people as they come to work for them. In order to become principled and effective adults, we must foster both character and competence early in the lives of our students.”

Over $1.8 million has already been raised toward the $3.5 million implementation portion of the overall goal. The aim of the Create Great campaign is to extend The Leader in Me’s impact from 21 Cedar Valley schools to 34. This will include PreK-12 public and private schools in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls area. An equal goal of $3.5 million will be raised and placed in an endowment to ensure the sustainability of the initiative for future generations.              

Serving as campaign co-chairs are: Dr. Allen; Dr. Dale Monroe, Chief Administrator, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools; and Tom Penaluna, CEO, CBE Companies. Senator Charles Grassley is the Honorary Campaign Chair.                                               

The Leader in Me aims to fill the gap between traditional school curriculum, and the skills and knowledge employers need in effective employees and organizational leaders. By addressing characteristics and skills such as personal responsibility, accountability, work ethic, teamwork, goal setting, and organization skills, Leader Valley’s investment seeks to enhance the Cedar Valley talent pool and help local businesses become more competitive in the global marketplace.

The campaign kickoff program includes an emphasis on student leadership and empowerment with students serving in leadership roles as emcees, greeters and The Leader in Me booth hosts. Additionally, inspirational comments from business and education leaders will be presented. Current donors to Create Great will also be recognized.

“We are excited to kick off this important fundraising campaign to transform our schools by integrating leadership development and performance into all facets of school cultures in every PreK-12 school in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls area,” said Penaluna. “We encourage business leaders and community members to attend our kickoff event and learn why Leader in Me is a critical element for a well-rounded education to develop the workforce our businesses need. If we wish to Create Great in our Cedar Valley schools, we all have a role.”

Tickets for the event are $40 in advance. Ticket price provides breakfast for one individual and a complimentary breakfast for one new teacher. Please register through the Alliance & Chamber website www.cedarvalleyalliance.com or by contacting Johanna Kneedler at 319-232-1156 or jkneedler@cedarvalleyalliance.com.  Administrators and new teachers do not need to register, but should make arrangements with their respective districts.

The impact and results of The Leader in Me can be found on the Leader Valley website, www.leadervalley.org, along with videos, testimonials and donor information. The fundraising steering committee for Create Great is: Stacey Bentley, Joyce Coil, Bryan Earnest, Chris Fereday, Ben Jacobson, Bob Justis, Reid Koenig, Shanlee McNally, Dr. Victoria Robinson, Tara Thomas, Amy Wienands and Mike Young.

For more information on the Leader Valley initiative and The Leader in Me, contact Melissa Reade, Leader Valley Program Director at the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber by calling 319-232-1156 or by email at mreade@cedarvalleyalliance.com. You can also visit www.leadervalley.org.

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Read more by reporter Andrew Wind in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier.

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