Tag Archives: Waterloo

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Hires Director of Talent Development

WATERLOO, IOWA— The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is excited to announce the full-time addition of a new member to their team. Will Frost joined the team as the Director of Talent Development on February 18. Frost is responsible for the development and implementation of initiatives to address both present and future workforce needs for the benefit of Cedar Valley businesses and institutions. His position includes analysis of workforce data and trends to identify gaps and barriers. Frost will be a collaborator with various partners and groups throughout the Cedar Valley and at the legislative level to address those gaps and barriers, as well as ensure a talent pipeline for the future.

Frost was most recently a Commercial Real Estate Advisor at Sulentic-Fischels Commercial Group, and prior to that was the Executive Director of the Renew Waterloo Community Development Corp. He received his B.A. from Coe College in Business Administration. He is also a recipient of the Courier’s 20 Under 40 Award and is actively involved with the Complete Streets Commission, the Waterloo Community Playhouse, and Hope City Church.

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Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Names Cary Darrah CEO

WATERLOO, Iowa—The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber’s (GCVAC) board of directors names Cary Darrah CEO after she led the organization as interim CEO the past seven months.

“Cary is a very well-liked, qualified and tenured economic development professional who has done an excellent job in re-energizing the nearly 15-year-old organization as the interim CEO,” said GCVAC Board Chairman Eric Johnson of Beecher Law Firm. “As we went through the research and goal-setting process, we received positive feedback from investors, community leaders and staff of Cary’s collaborative approach and visionary leadership. In a short timeframe, she has made changes to stabilize, strengthen and position the Alliance & Chamber to grow in the right direction. It became very apparent to the board that Cary is the right fit at the right time to lead GCVAC through the next phase and accomplish our 2020 vision and goals.”

The board of directors named Darrah interim director in February after the departure of Steve Dust, who was CEO since the Alliance was founded in 2004. According to Johnson, the board sought proposals from companies to conduct a national executive search for the CEO position. After seeing research results and Darrah’s accomplishments as interim CEO, the board unanimously decided it was not necessary to conduct a search.

“Cary was the best candidate for the job, and we’re very pleased to drop the interim from her CEO title,” said Johnson. “Not only is she qualified, she’s a bridge-building collaborator. Cary knows the Cedar Valley and has relationships with many of the players in local, state and national economic development and government. Considering diversity and inclusion are important factors in building the best workforce, it’s an added benefit to have a female CEO leading our economic and workforce development initiatives.”

Darrah is the first woman to head the Alliance or any of its predecessor organizations since Kristi Ray headed the Cedar Falls Chamber of Commerce from 1997 to 2002.

Darrah was named general manager of Techworks, an Alliance subsidiary, in 2007. She was then promoted to GCVAC executive vice president of community development in 2012 and TechWorks president in 2016. Prior to joining the Alliance & Chamber, Darrah was director of Cedar Falls Community Main Street from 1997 to 2007.

“I am honored to be named CEO of the Alliance & Chamber and ready to share our story of why the Cedar Valley is the best place to run a business, raise a family, live a fun and enriching life, and retire,” said Darrah. “I commend the board for pushing the pause button to conduct research before hitting the reset button to develop a new mission, vision and three-year plan. It was very important to be introspective, take the time to really listen to our chamber and alliance investors, and realign our focus to meet our investors’ and community’s greatest needs.”

For a concentrated focus on economic and talent development with limited resources, Darrah said the Alliance may need to revisit some of its programs and subsidiaries to determine which have been “properly incubated and ready to be spun off” into their own entities.

“Our staff is made up of a fantastic team of experts who are laser-focused on recruiting and retaining talent for area businesses and implementing the community and economic development initiatives that contribute the greatest value to the Cedar Valley’s economic health,” said Darrah. “You’ll see us out in the community celebrating our businesses at ribbon cuttings, working alongside government officials and community leaders as trusted partners on important issues, and being the loudest cheerleaders and strongest advocates for the Cedar Valley in Des Moines and Washington.”

Darrah will be the first to tell you she strongly believes in collaboration, building long-term relationships and trust, and that the best successes are credited to a meaningful mission and team efforts. She is particularly fond of the Alliance’s new mission to: “Elevate the economic vitality of our businesses and communities.”

“In order to elevate, positive changes need to be made to raise our community up to the next level,” said Darrah, “And, we need to breathe new life into our organization for the economic vitality of our businesses and communities. Our board and staff are all really engaged in this revisioning, cultural realignment and brand repositioning process. It’s such an exciting time to be the CEO of the Alliance & Chamber, and I look forward to working with all our partners to ultimately help create a shared vision for the Cedar Valley. We are ready to get to work to make the greater Cedar Valley even greater.”

About the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is a private, not-for-profit corporation working to elevate the economic vitality of our businesses and communities through collaborative economic and community development. Learn more at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com

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In the Media: Courtyard by Marriott opens on TechWorks Campus

“I’m really excited about it,” she said. “It’s a seven-year commitment coming full circle,” since the hotel project first was conceived in 2010. “First it was one step forward, two steps back; then two steps forward and one step back; then just full steam ahead. It’s been an interesting progression. And we couldn’t find a better developer or better hotel partners.”

Cary Darrah, President of TechWorks Campus and Vice President of Community Development for the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, is quoted in this article about the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Waterloo Cedar Falls.

Courtyard by Marriott opens in former Deere building, Pat Kinney, The Courier, December 19, 2017

In the Media: Waterloo renews contract to fund Alliance & Chamber

The City of Waterloo approved a new contract with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber: $28,500 plus $56,500 in incentive payments.

“Lisa Skubal, GCVAC vice president of economic development, said those efforts landed $37 million in projects and 246 new jobs in the first six months of the fiscal year, primarily from expansions at Crystal Distribution Services and Tyson Fresh Meats…

Skubal said the city’s internal economic development staff is ‘transaction oriented’ and willing to work with prospects to get deals done. The challenge was Waterloo’s high property tax rate.

Alliance and Chamber CEO Steve Dust said the city is generally able to cover the property tax discrepancy through additional incentives to businesses.

‘You burn through incentives overcoming the property tax issue,’ he said.

Dust said one of the biggest issues on the horizon involves talent development, which is why the GCVAC is working on programs to recruit and train the work force businesses need to thrive locally.”

Waterloo renews GVCA contract, Tim Jamison, The Courier, November 28, 2017

5 on Friday: Fuel for Thought November 10, 2017

ONE: Cedar Valley Brags

We have a lot to brag about in our Cedar Valley. We see it every day, and we love it when others recognize us. Here is a link to the web page where we collect those bragging points. But we don’t find them all. If you find a brag, we should be sharing with our talented workforce, business, and influencer targets, send it to us. We’ll add them to the list.

Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber website, Brags & Rankings

TWO: Computer Science in K-12 by 2019

This year, the Iowa legislature mandated the Iowa Department of Education complete a plan to offer instruction by July 1, 2019in the fundamentals of computer science in elementary schools, exploratory computer science in middle school, and at least one high-quality computer science course in high schools. The report linked below was issued November 1. Do you have comments on this? Let me know by email so I can collect your views, add mine, and send it along to the Iowa Department of Education and Governor’s Special Assistant for Education.

Computer Science Education Work Group, State of Iowa Department of Education, November 1, 2017

THREE: Eldorado Resorts

One of our newest Cedar Valley corporate names is Eldorado Resorts, Inc. (ERI). Eldorado purchased the Isle Hotel Waterloo along with other Isle of Capri assets this year. I’m still learning about the company, and its vision for the industry and the Waterloo property, specifically. Here’s a link to their October investor presentation.

Investor Presentation October 2017, Eldorado Resorts

FOUR: Iowa Taxes

The closer the calendar gets to January, the more we’ll read and hear about the priorities of associations and legislators about priorities for the 2018 session. Tax reform in many forms will be discussed, whether or not any (useful) action is taken. The Tax Foundation, a national think tank researches taxes of all classes at the federal and state level. One of the interesting takeaways is that their State Business Tax System Ranking places Iowa’s overall tax system as 40th in the nation, and our business tax system as 49th in the US. That isn’t good. Below is a link to their recommendations for Iowa. Follow the link below for details.

Iowa Tax Reform Options: Building a Tax System for the 21st Century, Tax Foundation, May 5, 2016

FIVE: International Trade in Solar Panels

The rules of the road for international trade and commerce is at the forefront – NAFTA, Brexit, and all that. But international trade impacts us at a granular level: the Cedar Valley exports a lot of ag commodities as well as equipment from tractors to winches, and we import components, ingredients, and more. But the rules of trade aren’t straightforward. Here’s an article that shows how complex, if not plainly goofy, the rules of trade get contorted. And there are a couple of links within the item that are good reads, too. (There’s advertising at the end that will allow you to sign up for the newsletter if you wish.)

Tariffs on Your Roof, Patrick Watson, Connecting the Dots(Mauldin Economics), November 7, 2017

5 on Friday: Fuel for Thought November 3, 2017

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

Fuel for Thought What's Steve Dust Reading this Week? November 3, 2017

One: Cedar Valley in Top 100 Places to Start a Biz

The website How to Start an LLC has ranked U.S. metros where it’s easiest to start a business, according to their matrix. The criteria, plus the entire list, is available at this link.

Top Cities to Start a Business, How to Start an LLC, 2017

Two: Your Comment Needed — Future Ready Iowa

I recently linked the Future Ready Iowa Alliance board’s website in this space. The recommendations to achieve 70 percent of the Iowa workforce holding post-secondary credentials are listed there. Your comments are needed. Are the goals on the right track?

Comment on the page at this link: Future Ready Iowa Alliance Final Recommendations

Three: Iowa’s Leading Indicators

The Iowa Department of Revenue publishes a monthly report. Spoiler alert for September: Industrials are good, Ag, not so good.

Iowa Leading Indicators Index September 2017 Report, Iowa Department of Revenue, September 2017

Four: Which Cities Are Attracting Tech Talent?

We’re learning how to attract talented people, as well as businesses to the Cedar Valley. This is an article that features some attributes of (much larger) places where tech-specific talent is willing to go. It’s a slide show, see button at top of web site.

5 U.S. Cities Luring Tech Talent Away From Silicon Valley, Entrepreneur, October 31, 2017

Five: What is a Smart City?

And in the vein of “what does it take,” the talent equation fundamentally depends on quality of place. This is a long think piece by someone paid to think about how to connect a complex system – a city – to meaningful data and information. The role of data, ignored as a frill by many, is essential to the city’s ability to thrive as a service deliverer and keeper of place. For those who volunteer countless hours over many years to improve their cities, and those in city government in any way, this is a good article to crunch through.

The Search for a Theory of Cities, Colin Harrison, Meeting of the Minds, November 2, 2017

Waterloo’s Crystal Distribution Approved for IEDA Award

CEDAR VALLEY OF IOWA (August 18, 2017) — The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) today approved a tax credit award for Crystal Distribution Services, Inc. The company qualified for sales tax rebate on construction materials for a $5.5 million expansion project of its Waterloo facility.

IEDA application assistance was provided through the Alliance & Chamber’s business retention and expansion (BRE) services which focus on keeping and growing businesses in the Greater Cedar Valley. These services are provided to any business in the region, including investors in the Alliance & Chamber.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber economic development team of Lisa Skubal, Vice President of Economic Development, and Cassie Evers, Business Services Coordinator, collaborated with the City of Waterloo and IEDA to assist Crystal Distribution owner Tom Poe with the application process. Their goal was to ensure that the company’s project qualified and was approved this month by IEDA to allow time for construction to begin this year.

On Monday, Waterloo City Council unanimously approved development incentives for Crystal Distribution’s expansion and agreed to serve as a sponsor for the IEDA application.

Today, the IEDA board today awarded this project tax benefits under its High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program which provides qualifying businesses assistance to offset some of the costs incurred to locate, expand, or modernize an Iowa facility. In addition to the capital investment, Crystal Distribution’s project will create one additional job at a qualifying wage of $17.29 per hour.

According to the company’s website, Crystal Distribution provides temperature-controlled warehouse and repackaging services to food processing companies around the world. The company began operation in the Cedar Valley more than 100 years ago by cutting ice from the local river and distributing it around the country. Crystal Distribution is a current investor in the Alliance & Chamber.

Read August 28, 2017, IEDA news release here: Economic Development Board approves awards to support over $48 million in capital investment in Iowa

Read August 15, 2017, The Courier article here: Incentives for Crystal approved

Letter of Support for Convention Center, Hotel Agreement

In a letter to Mayor Quentin Hart and Waterloo Council Members, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber CEO Steve Dust outlines several reasons why the city should approve an agreement with developer Leslie Hospitality Company. “This agreement is beneficial to the city’s taxpayers, and should be seen as enabling a significant benefit to the Cedar Valley economy and your city’s image,” Dust writes.

Waterloo City Council members approved selling the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center to Leslie Hospitality Company on July 17.

Read Dust’s letter of support.

Tribute to Sullivan Brothers Secured with Naming of Plaza Surrounding Convention Center

Waterloo, Iowa – The City of Waterloo and Leslie Hospitality Company are pleased to announce that the square block where Waterloo’s convention center resides will be dedicated as Sullivan Brothers Plaza and incorporated into the convention center’s new name: Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza.

“We are very pleased with the naming of Sullivan Brothers Plaza” says Kelly Sullivan, spokesperson for the Sullivan Family. “Leslie Hospitality and Mayor Hart have done everything possible to accommodate our requests. We are pleased that the Convention Center complex will continue to pay tribute to the Five Sullivan Brothers as well as honor all veterans of our armed forces.”

Late Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Hart convened a meeting with Edwin Leslie, President and CEO of Leslie Hospitality and representatives of the Sullivan family including Kelly Sullivan and former Mayor John Rooff. The purpose of the meeting was to assure the Sullivan family and their supporters that tribute to the Five Sullivan Brothers would continue with the transfer of the building’s ownership to the developer. “Designating the grounds of the convention center Sullivan Brothers Plaza will ensure that the property will always honor the sacrifice of the Sullivan Brothers and their families” says Mayor Hart. “The Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza will honor the Sullivans and be a living monument to all the brave men and women who valiantly defend our country.”

“In addition to individual meetings with Kelly and her father, at my request Mr. Edwin Leslie was happy to drive back to Waterloo from Omaha to meet with the Sullivans in person,” says Hart. “Leslie Hospitality has demonstrated their commitment to be a community partner, investing in our city’s progress while honoring the legacy of the Sullivan Brothers and all of our veterans.”
A monument paying tribute to the Sullivans will be constructed on the Plaza by Leslie Hospitality. The new owner is anxious to get underway with the overhaul to the convention center and hotel.

“We hope to start immediately by making initial improvements to the building’s exterior and technology, and by delivering exceptional customer service through a passionate and highly-trained staff,” said Edwin Leslie. “Renovated facilities and our intensive marketing efforts will increase the awareness of the Sullivan Family as well as the City of Waterloo. It’s a win-win for all involved!”
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City of Waterloo Contact:
Wendy Bowman, Wendy.Bowman@Waterloo-IA.org

Leslie Hospitality Contact:
Edwin Leslie, eleslie@leslie-hospitality.com

Grow Cedar Valley