Alliance & Chamber investor and President of United Equipment Accessories (UEA) in Waverly was elected chair of the board of directors of the Iowa Association of Business & Industry (ABI) for the 2014-15 program year. Other Cedar Valley representatives elected to and serving on the ABI board of directors include:

·         Alliance & Chamber CEO Steve Dust – At Large Director

·         Threads CEO Sean Abbas – District 2 Vice Chair

·         GMT Corporation President Jared Graening- At Large Director

·         Standard Golf President Pete Voorhees – District 2 Director

The elections were held during ABI’s annual meeting on June 10, in conjunction with its annual Taking Care of Business conference.

ABI has been known as “The Voice of Iowa Business Since 1903,” and is the largest business network in the state (serving as Iowa’s State Chamber) with a long legacy of advocating for a competitive business climate in Iowa. With over 1,400 members, ABI works, “to foster a favorable business, economic, governmental and social climate within the State of Iowa so that our citizens have the opportunity to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.” ABI is also the state level affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers and BIPAC, an organization that provides employers with issue based tools to inform employees about impacts of public policies on business.

“Mark will be a terrific, results-oriented chair for an important organization,” stated Dust. “ABI is an essential partner in our work. It’s also impressive that the Cedar Valley has such a strong representation in our state association’s board of directors. That gives us a strong voice in crafting the message of business in Des Moines and Washington, said Dust.