Tag Archives: University of Northern Iowa

TEAMING UP FOR 2018 ECONOMIC INCLUSION CONFERENCE

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber and several area agencies will present “Engage, Empower, Act: A Cedar Valley Conference on Economic Inclusion” from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, October 12, 2018, at the Diamond Event Center in Cedar Falls.

“Engage, Empower, Act” will foster a day of crucial conversations on creating an inclusive community in the Cedar Valley. The conference will focus on best inclusion practices in business, community, and K-12 and higher education. Featured are a keynote speaker and several breakout sessions. For the past several years, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber has hosted an annual Economic Inclusion Summit. Last year, UNI hosted its first Engage, Empower, Act Diversity Conference. However, this year, the two organizations are partnering to host one conference focused on economic inclusion both in education and industry.

“Economic Inclusion includes everyone. That’s why we are leading a collaborative to host a Cedar Valley Conference on Economic Inclusion that welcomes attendees from education, business and the community. Everyone is welcome,” explains Jean Trainor, chair of the Alliance & Chamber’s Economic Inclusion Council.

“Last year, we saw people coming in with a thirst for more information about putting diversity and inclusion’s best practices into play within their organizations. It was so gratifying for all of us to be able to share knowledge and work on real-time workplace situations,” said Gwenne Berry of UNI’s 2017 conference. Berry is assistant to the president and chief diversity officer at UNI. “We are truly looking forward to bringing together our efforts with GCVA and serving our community in this crucially important area.”

The conference keynote is Dr. Nika White, author of “The Intentional Inclusionist,” a book inspired by philosophies of leadership and inclusion, containing principles to help individuals become more intentional in how diversity and inclusion is understood and practiced at the individual level.

Dr. White serves as the senior advisor to the Greenville, South Carolina, Chamber’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and is responsible for creating and collaboratively implementing an overarching diversity strategy for the Greenville Chamber as an extension of the executive team. Since taking on the position, Dr. White has helped the Greenville Chamber gain the recognition of the Organization of the Year from the Minority of Economic Development Institute, 2014 Excellence in Diversity Award Recipient presented by Greenville Society of Human Resources Management (GSHRM) and a national platform as a leader in the space of diversity inclusion recognized by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Dr. White is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Institute of Organization Management (IOM), is a certified trainer with National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) and is a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) through the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC).

The conference is open to community leaders, human resources professionals, recruiters, educators and those interested in developing inclusion strategies for the Cedar Valley. This event will foster the exchange of new ideas and approaches for meaningful and impactful diversity and inclusion.

Companies sponsoring the conference include University of Iowa Community Credit Union as the Premier Sponsor; Diamond Event Center, Table 1912, and Veridian Credit Union as Platinum Sponsors; Cedar Valley Nonprofit Association, Courier Communications, Covenant Medical Center, CUNA Mutual and KWWL as Gold Sponsors; and the Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission, Community Bank & Trust, SHRM and Viking Pump as Inclusion Partners. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

The following organizations are collaborating to plan the conference: the Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, IowaWORKS of Waterloo, Infiniti Enterprises, Legacy Branding and Events, University of Northern Iowa, UNI Center for Violence Prevention and the Waterloo Commission on Human Rights.

Registration for the conference opens mid-August via the UNI Diversity Matters website at diversity.uni.edu/diversity-conference and is free to the public. Organizations and individuals that cannot attend are encouraged to download information from the conference tool kit, available October 10, 2018. For more information, call 319-883-0219 or visit diversity.uni.edu/diversity-conference.

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ALLIANCE & CHAMBER ADVANCES CEDAR VALLEY ECONOMY WITH NEW STAFF & ROLES

(WATERLOO,IA) – The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is excited to announce the addition of two new individuals, as well as new roles for several existing staff. Over the past six months, the Executive Committee of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber has gathered feedback from community members and stakeholders on the organization’s future strategic goals. That input has resulted in placing high priority on talent and workforce initiatives, economic development (business recruitment and existing business expansion), and organization communications. Based on that feedback, the Alliance & Chamber has added two new staff members and adjusted existing roles to align with those goals.

Aubree Taylor started her role as Communications Assistant on May 1. Her responsibilities include graphic design, social media and website management, event promotion, and electronic and print communications. Aubree graduated in May 2018 from Wartburg College with a B.A. in Journalism and Communication and minor in Business Marketing and Leadership.

Aaron Jarnagin began as the Talent Solutions Marketing Intern on May 23. He assists with digital media, social media, and research for initiatives related to workforce recruitment and retention. Aaron works specifically on content for the Live the Valley website and social media platforms. His internship also includes economic-related data research and support for business recruitment and retention projects and publications. Aaron plans to graduate from the University of Northern Iowa in December 2018 with a degree in Marketing: Advertising and Digital Media.

Cassie Grimsman was promoted to the role of Director of Talent Development effective July 1. Cassie began at the Alliance & Chamber in May 2017 as the Business Services Coordinator after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Financial Management and Organizational Leadership. In her new role, Cassie will advocate for Cedar Valley employer’s interests in relation to workforce and education, as well as helping to support and coordinate regional strategy to address both present and future workforce needs.

Johanna Kneedler was promoted to the role of Office Coordinator starting May 1. Johanna began at the Alliance & Chamber in 2016 as Administrative Assistant – Receptionist and has since assumed more responsibilities in overall office coordination to ensure efficient day-to-day work flow.

Lisa Skubal, Vice President of Economic Development, will assume execution of the business retention and expansion initiatives, previously performed by the Business Services Coordinator. She will continue to lead new business recruitment and prospect identification in collaboration with the Cedar Valley Regional Partnership. Lisa will also be creating and leading an Economic Development Advisory Council with input from regional partners, city officials, and other stakeholders.

Sandi Sommerfelt, Vice President of Operations and General Manager, continues to oversee general operations, while deepening her role in financial management of the organization, as well as oversight of organization communications.

Cary Darrah continues in her role as Acting CEO, which she was named by the Alliance & Chamber’s Executive Committee earlier this year. Part of Cary’s role as Acting CEO includes the reorganization of the Alliance & Chamber to support the strategic goals of the organization. The Executive Committee of the Alliance & Chamber plans to roll out its new strategic plan in the coming months alongside research, messaging and branding efforts.

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Alliance & Chamber to Welcome New Teachers at Breakfast

CEDAR VALLEY OF IOWA (July 17, 2018) –New teachers will be welcomed by Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber investors at the 2018 New Teacher Breakfast from 7:30-9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 17 at Courtyard by Marriott, 250 Westfield Ave., Waterloo.

The annual event is attended by more than 200 teachers, school administrators, and business leaders. The breakfast will celebrate new teachers from Cedar Falls Community School District, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, St. Patrick Catholic School, Valley Lutheran and Waterloo Community School District.

The program, facilitated by the Leader Valley team and student leaders, includes an introduction to the whole-school leadership and life skills initiative The Leader in Me©. Speakers also include leaders from business and higher education.

The University of Northern Iowa College of Education is the premier sponsor for the breakfast. Gold sponsors include Cedar Valley Catholic Schools System, and Hawkeye Community College. The Decoration Sponsor is Sam’s Club, and Silver Sponsors are Purdue University Global, and UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital.

Alliance & Chamber investors are exclusively invited to attend the breakfast. Event ticket price of $40 pays for breakfast for one representative of the investor’s company and a complimentary breakfast for one new teacher.

The Alliance & Chamber investor registration deadline is August 7. Click here to register or contact Bette Wubbena at bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

METRO AREA MAKES LIST OF SUCCESSFUL MANUFACTURING COMMUNITIES

CEDAR FALLS/ WATERLOO, Iowa – Waterloo/Cedar Falls positioned among the top 22 successful manufacturing intensive communities according to the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

In May 2018, Timothy J. Bartik of the W.E. Upjohn Institute released a study identifying manufacturing intensive communities in the United States that were performing well from 2000 – 2015, when most of these types of communities were suffering.

Bartik identified three strategies that were utilized in the successful communities.

“Expand customized services to small and medium-sized manufacturers.”
“Invest in infrastructure and services that make the community’s land better for business development.”
“Increase public spending on services that increase local workers’ job skills.”

The greater Cedar Falls/ Waterloo manufacturing hub attributes this success to the partnering of private organizations with public entities to develop programs that create and carry out all three of the strategies mentioned. The Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber has seen this to be true; reporting that 75% of manufacturers interviewed since 2010 have reported that they are growing. There are a large number of programs and initiatives working to promote manufacturing growth in the Cedar Valley.

Starting in area high schools, the Waterloo Career Center and Cedar Falls CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Studies) are offering manufacturing programs to expose students to the industry as well as connect them with area organizations. Higher education institutions have developed technical training programs designed to provide college students with the skills to be successful and the connections to build great careers here in the Cedar Valley.

Hawkeye Community College (HCC) uses the 260E and 260F training programs. 260E is a program for training of new employees and 260F is a training program to upskill current employees. Furthermore, HCC and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) partnered to create the UNI Metal Casting Additive Manufacturing Center. This center is housed within TechWorks, the first technology park of its kind in Iowa to combine world-class business amenities within a Brownfield industrial redevelopment project.

The study notes that from 2000 – 2015, the United States saw an 8.5% increase in the overall job growth while manufacturing intensive communities saw a 2.7% decrease. Waterloo and Cedar Falls governments and the Alliance & Chamber continuously recognize the importance of providing resources to existing business, to encourage and support their growth.

To attract new manufacturers to the area and encourage the growth of current manufacturers, the cities are proactive about developing land and allotting land to be used by manufacturing operations. Additionally, businesses can receive tax credits when developing and building on brownfields through Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The Alliance & Chamber assists with this application process. This has allowed the area to use the Cedar Valley’s city space efficiently.

For small to mid-sized manufacturers, CIRAS (Center for Industrial Research and Service) has been a phenomenal asset to organizations here in the Cedar Valley; providing high quality consulting at a more affordable rate.

All these efforts by the city governments, educational institutions, the Alliance & Chamber and the hard work of Cedar Valley manufacturers contributed to the growth of the region, earning its spot in Upjohn’s top 22 successful manufacturing intensive communities.

5 on Friday: Fuel for Thought December 15, 2017

by Steve Dust, CEO, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Remember: 5 on Friday is a two-way street: please send me recommendations on books, reports, articles, blogs, videos, or anything you’re reading or watching that impacts business and the economy.

ONE: HowFactory.com – Manufacturer’s New Bestie

As a new part of 5 on Friday, I’m going to highlight a Cedar Valley product or firm from time to time. There’s no better place to start than HowFactory.

HowFactory should be the best friend of any process dependent enterprise. The brainchild of IT guru Trace Steffen, How Factory is blossoming into one of the Cedar Valley’s top new and scaling products. You may remember the HowFactory’s team won a 2016 Howard Brock Innovation Award from the Alliance & Chamber.

Trace and his team of knowledge documentation warriors describe HowFactory’s capabilities this way: HowFactory is the simple platform that allows users to manage the knowledge critical to your team’s success and growth. The company’s tagline: “We’re not your father’s How-To Manual.” I encourage you to take the HowFactory suggestion and sign up for a 14-day test drive of the platform at www.HowFactory.com. Give Trace and his team a call to get a better idea how to align your firm’s knowledge base with an exciting, visual way of communicating and monitoring. #CedarValleyMade

Start your 14 day free trial

TWO: What’s Next for 3D in Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing – 3D printing – is a big deal in the Cedar Valley. If you have not yet seen the Additive Manufacturing and Design Lab on the first floor of TechWorks Tech 1, you need to! We made a big deal in 2013 out of the first big sand casting machine that was delivered, but several more production scale printers and scanners have been delivered since then. The design lab is in Tech 1, too. This asset has brought business and attention to the Cedar Valley. What’s next for this technology? This article charts a probable course for industrial applications of 3D printing.

New frontier: Here’s where 3D printing is headed next in industrial manufacturing, Christine LaFave Grace, Plant Services (Putman Media), December 7, 2017

THREE: Pass-through Entities and the Tax Bill

This is an informative, brief piece on the potential impacts of the Fed Tax Reform on the important pass-through structure for business.

Pass-Through Rate In Focus As Congress Gears Up For Tax Vote, Patrick Gorman, Chief Executive, December 14, 2017

FOUR: Sales Growth Hacks

It’s all about knowing your customer.

10 Growth Hacking Strategies to Triple Your Sales, R.L. Adams, Entrepreneur, December 5, 2017

FIVE: George Friedman Forecasts 2018

There are many forecasts for 2018 from many different directions. Here’s one you need to read, from George Friedman of Geopolitical Futures. He’s one of the best informed, objective observers out there.

[PDF] 2018: A Year of Tenuous Stability, Geopolitical Futures, 2017

5 on Friday: Fuel for Thought

by Steve Dust, CEO, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

image Fuel for thought graphic What's Steve Dust Reading this Week? October 20, 2017

John Deere Waterloo TV ad

John Deere has begun showing a terrific 30-second ad on TV in the Cedar Valley area. You have to watch it. Send it along to your colleagues and friends.

Building the best large tractors :30 TV spot

And here’s a nearly eight-minute version

Building the best large tractors

When Should The Firm Adopt Additive Manufacturing

The University of Northern Iowa’s amazing Additive Manufacturing Center and Design Lab in our TechWorks Tech 1 building continues to expand in size, industrial production scale equipment, and Iowa clients served. We know that additive manufacturing in the industrial setting will be an important growth sector for the Cedar Valley, in terms of our firms’ investment in the technology, as well as the opportunity to recruit the makers of the equipment. I am trying to learn more about how the firm makes that investment decision, as well as be better informed about the technology. Here’s a good article with a process and opinion on how the evaluation should be structured.

Courtesy of Supply Chain Management Review.

Is Your Supply Chain Ready for Additive Manufacturing? André Kieviet and Suraj M. Alexander, Supply Chain Management Review, October 16, 2017

Zappos Hsieh on Business Organization

Zappos’ top guy has been famous for risks and successes in e-commerce and flaming failures. Still, he has more than1,500 employees in one of the attention-grabbing e-commerce firms. And he’s a damned good organizational thinker. Here’s an interview he did with the McKinsey firm to make sense out of his “holocracy” approach to organizational management. It is a good, and thought-provoking read.

Safe enough to try: An interview with Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, McKinsey Quarterly, October 2017

China Strategy

This week, China commenced a session of its National Congress of the Communist Party. This Congress is held every five years. George Friedman, one of the best, objective observers of global geo-political/economic issues, republished a report with his analysis of the “grand strategy” employed by China. This nation that has seen extraordinary economic activity and growth, according to Friedman, may be operating in a different strategic framework than we might think.

In China, a Strategy Born of Weakness, Geopolitical Futures, October 18, 2017

Surviving the Merger

We haven’t merged again, but many of your firms are acquiring new operations or creating strategic partnerships of various kinds. No matter how small, these moves require thoughtful communications to all involved to ease anxieties about the post-agreement workplace. This is a good Harvard Business Review article on the topic that would be a good tool for individuals engaged in your growth program.

Surviving M&A: How to thrive amid the turmoil, Harvard Business Review, by Mitchell Lee Marks, Philip Mirvis, and Ron Ashkenas, March-April 2017

What a Day!

By Steve Dust, President/CEO Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

You have probably seen that commercial for an insurance company where, after a great day for a young woman receiving a new car and an equally dismal day for a man whose car tires have been stolen, both exclaim, “What a day!”

That’s how I felt on Tuesday, July 11 as spent four hours traveling to and from Des Moines to attend a three-hour meeting.

Usually, I wouldn’t attend a meeting outside the Cedar Valley on the day of an Alliance & Chamber board meeting, never mind our annual meeting. But I broke that rule for the Future Ready Iowa Alliance board meeting because it meets so infrequently, its planning work is nearing the end, and important implementation actions soon follow.

“What a day!” I repeated to myself the entire trip. Initially, I focused on missing hours of prep time for the Alliance & Chamber annual meeting. Then the people I encountered completely turned my day around.

Ben Allen, former University of Northern Iowa president and current interim Iowa State University president, was the first person I encountered. It was good to see an old friend and champion of the Cedar Valley. That was worth the trip, I thought.
Mike Ralston, President of Iowa Association of Business and Industry, and I walked in together. We always have a lot to compare notes on, but he emphasized that a recent ABI social media post attracted the largest number of views, interactions, and reposts his organization had experienced. The post featured the U.S. Chamber of Commerce presenting U.S. Rep Rod Blum with its Spirit of Enterprise Award; the Alliance & Chamber co-hosted the event at the TDS Automation/Doerfer plant in Waverly.
Hawkeye Community College President Linda Allen is one of eight on the board from various Cedar Valley sectors. As we were getting yet another cup of coffee, she talked to me about another potential partnership between Hawkeye and a local major employer, implemented at TechWorks Campus. She is pumped about the opportunity. (Now, all we need is money).
As the program began, Georgia Van Gundy, CEO of Iowa Business Council, gave a shout out to the Cedar Valley’s aggressive programming to retain, recruit, and prepare talent to fuel economic growth. Unexpected and appreciated. (IBC’s members are Iowa’s largest 20+/- employers, the three regent universities, and bankers’ association.)
While walking back to my table from the coffee urn, President Liang Chee Wee of Northeast Iowa Community College got up from his table to greet me with his characteristic smile. He told me, “I’m a fan of all you’re doing in the Cedar Valley!” That’s all of you: I just happened to be in the spot to catch the compliment.
It was good to see Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham simply because of health challenges she has been managing – with her typical “I’m not getting beat” approach, of course. But then she highly complimented the work of the Alliance & Chamber Economic Development team working on a particular project. I thanked her for taking extraordinary steps to ensure the opportunity to win.
Governor Kim Reynolds’ Deputy Chief of Staff Tim Albrecht is a recent graduate of ABI’s Leadership Iowa, the same class for which Leader Valley‘s Melissa Reade was a co-director. Tim thanked me for the time given Melissa to fulfill that role. She said, “Without Melissa there, it would not have been the amazing experience we had.” That is quite a compliment.
During the meeting, I sat with UNI Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Wohlpart. He has a goal to ensure the Future Ready Iowa initiatives to increase the percentage of Iowan’s with post-high school educational/career prep credentials are effectively implemented in the Cedar Valley economic area. Jim frequently moved our small-group discussion toward the need for local strategies to implement the statewide framework. His enthusiasm is contagious. I’m glad to have such a motivated leader making a difference for the workforce and employers of the Cedar Valley.

By the end of the meeting, I was saying, “What a day!” but for an entirely different reason than during my morning drive.

I had been reminded that the Cedar Valley generally, and our Alliance & Chamber especially, have many talented people effectively and proactively implementing meaningful projects to make our region even greater – and that effort recognized statewide.

Public invited to attend UNI presidential candidate forums

Public forums to be held November 29, 30 and December 1 at 2:30pm in the Old Central Ballroom of Maucker Union, on the University of Northern Iowa Campus.

Three candidates for the position of UNI president will visit campus during the week of November 28th. We encourage you to attend the public forums held on November 29, 30 and December 1 at 2:30pm in the Old Central Ballroom of Maucker Union. You may also have occasion to visit with the candidates in other meetings during the campus visits. The candidate’s vita and video from the forum will be available online. We ask that you provide to the search committee your input on the qualifications of each candidate by completing an online form. A fourth candidate was invited to be a finalist but withdrew.

The aim of the form is to collect meaningful quantitative and qualitative information from the campus community. It was developed by members of the search committee in consultation with Professor Mary Losch, Director of the UNI Center for Social and Behavioral Research.

On the day of each candidate’s public forum, faculty, staff and students will receive an email containing a link to a confidential electronic input form for that person. Please complete the forms as soon as possible and no later than 12 noon on Saturday, December 3. At that time, collection of electronic forms will be closed and the responses for each candidate will be summarized and provided to the search committee.

Community members and any UNI employees without university email access will be able to obtain a link by providing an email address either at the public forum or by requesting a link from CSBR@uni.edu. No names or identifying information will be collected on the forms.

Katie Mulholland
UNI Presidential Search Committee Co-Chair

Daniel Power
UNI Presidential Search Committee Co-Chair

UNI Announces New SBDC Director

The following information was submitted by our investor, the University of Northern Iowa.

The Center for Business Growth and Innovation at the University of Northern Iowa is excited to announce that Amy Dutton has joined our team as the new Small Business Development Center Regional Director for the UNI center.

Originally from rural western New York state, Dutton moved to the Cedar Valley in 1996 and quickly settled in. Prior to becoming UNI’s SBDC Regional Director, Amy was the Community Outreach Manager for Lutheran Services in Iowa where she worked throughout Black Hawk and Grundy counties to promote LSI programs. Her experience also includes time at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, College Square Mall and Martin Brothers, as well as current board positions on the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau Board and Cedar Valley Society for Human Resources Management Board.

We are excited to have Amy bring her knowledge, skill and passion for small business and entrepreneurship to our region. Amy knows what it takes to succeed in today’s marketplace and is eager to share her experiences in building strong, vibrant and sustainable businesses.

As the Regional SBDC Director, Amy will provide one-on-one business consulting and assist entrepreneurs and small business owners in building and strengthening their businesses. She will also be working alongside regional and state business service providers to build a more vibrant and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Grundy, Howard and Tama counties.

The SBDC services include startup assistance, business planning, accounting, human resources, marketing, sales, information on local and statewide resources, and much more. More information on the SBDC program can be found at http://www.iowasbdc.org/regional-center/waterloo-cedar-falls/.

We are also pleased to announce that Dan Beenken has been promoted to the position of Director of Advance Iowa, the Center for Business Growth and Innovation’s holistic consulting program. Dan, who previously served in the role of SBDC Director, is responsible for helping Iowa’s Second Stage businesses become more sustainable, profitable and prosperous.

You can contact Amy at amy.dutton@uni.edu or by phone at (3189) 273-4328. Feel free to share her contact information with any and all small business clients you think would benefit from her services.