Lee County EDG Adds Board Members |
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Lee County EDG has expanded our board adding Pat McCrabb, General Manager at JJ Nichting Company, and Bob Holtkamp, Owner of Holtkamp's Floors Decor & Furniture.
McCrabb brings the rural ag sector perspective to the board, being the General Manager at JJ Nichting Company, a farm equipment dealer out of Pilot Grove, since 2015. "I'm happy to be part of this board," said McCrabb. "The agriculture industry is a key part of Lee County's economy, and I am looking forward to getting more involved."
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Holtkamp is actively involved in the county. "Being born and raised in Fort Madison and now owning my own business here, I want what is best for Lee County as a whole," said Holtkamp. "I've been an investor and have been watching what they do the past few years, which sparked my interest in getting involved. Being able to join this board is an honor, and I look forward to helping out as much as I can." |
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Lee County EDG is excited to add these two professionals to our board. Effective July 1st, the new executive board was voted in, consisting of Scott Smith as Immediate Past Chair, Jenny Steffensmeier Board Chair, Michael Mohrfeld as Vice-Chair, Bob Huffman Jr. as Treasurer. The executive board serves one-year terms in their position; however, board members serve three-year terms with the opportunity for reelection when their time is complete.
Board Directors include Bryan Langerud, Mickey McHale, Jamie Baier, Shelby Dickens, Ashlee Spannagel, Susan Dunek, Phil Hecht, Lee County Board of Supervisor Garry Seyb Jr., Lee County Board of Supervisor Rick Larkin, and Mike Norris as a representative from Southeast Iowa Regional Planning.
Lee County EDG would like to give a special thanks to Dave Schwarz, Darrell Allman, and Scott Piper for their service on the Lee County EDG board.
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Local Economic Development Groups Launch New Dashboard |
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Lee County EDG worked with eIMPACT to develop an Economic Dashboard for Lee County and Southeast Iowa that automatically collects data and updates critical information about our communities.
These dashboards allow us to better tell our story by providing a more detailed snapshot of our economy. For example, if you look at the aggregated census data, the story is pretty bleak but if you go further, you can see some trends that are rather promising. Lee County has had a 15% growth in population ages 35-39 years old and a 25% increase in ages 35-44 years old.
This dashboard also gives us insights into our industries and our community’s quality of life to see how competitive we are in different segments.
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STEM Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary |
The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council celebrates ten years of STEM Council impact in Iowa this year!
Ten years ago, STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) was a new term for some Iowans, and now 70% of Iowans know the meaning. Throughout the past decade, the Southeast Iowa STEM Region has had the excellent opportunity to increase the recognition of STEM and its connection to STEM careers right here in southeast Iowa.
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Thousands of students and educators have been able to experience professional development and hands-on STEM learning. Lee County's participation has grown significantly over the years. This STEM impact has also included collaboration with many southeast Iowa businesses, organizations, and community leaders. |
Most recently, Lee County was awarded the STEM BEST Business Engaging Students and Teachers) Grant to assist in the funding of developing the Career Exploration Center. The goal of this center is to provide Lee County students expanded opportunities in different career strands to build on the CTE courses currently offered at the high schools.
This regional career center will use a combination of strategies to develop employability skills within the coursework in addition to authentic learning experiences within a project-based learning environment.
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CBIZ Options Catalog Now Available |
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Custom on-site training available. On-site training is an EFFICIENT & COST-EFFECTIVE way to bring key concepts to your team at one time. Learn more, call today at 319-208-5375
The Options course catalog offers classes for individuals seeking new skills, or educational tools to improve their business.
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Home Based Iowa Designation |
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Lee County has obtained the Home Based Iowa designation through the state. Home Base Iowa connects Iowa businesses with qualified veterans and their spouses looking for career opportunities. The program also provides resources to help veterans and their families with education and transition to a new community.
Though we have met the state requirements, we would like to improve on our offerings. We are looking for businesses and individuals willing to help in this effort. Please click below to help us with this designation and assist in recruiting veterans to Lee County.
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If you are a Lee County industry and have a product you would like to have highlighted, contact Dana Millard at dmillard@leecountyedg.com.
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Have a story or update you want to share?
Contact Lee County EDG
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