Rural Development Council
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds used the backdrop of the Wilton Candy Kitchen to sign legislation that provides state funds for rural housing and broadband. An article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette provides more information.
Members of the ‘Empower Rural Iowa’ task force and the Iowa Rural Development Council joined Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg following the bill signing.
Wed April 10
12:00-5:00 Early Registration
Hotel Grinnell, First Floor
1:00-4:00 Housing Development in Rural Iowa – “Raising Rooftops,”
Drake Public Library, 930 Park Street
•Getting Ready for New Housing
•Collaborating to Build Workforce Housing
•Overcoming Internal Obstacles
1:00-4:00 Downtown Grinnell Historic District walking tours. Guided tour of Merchants National Bank.
Meet at Grinnell Chamber, 833 4th Avenue
5:00-7:00 Welcome Reception
Peace Tree Brewing Company, 923 Main Street
Sponsored by Trusted Energy and The Bill Menner Group
7:00 Dinner on Your Own
Thur April 11
7:00-8:45 Registration
Hotel Grinnell, First Floor
9:00-12:30 Plenary Sessions
Hotel Grinnell, Second Floor Auditorium
9:00-9:10 Grinnell Mayor Dan Agnew
9:10-9:15 Iowa Rural Development Council Chair Sandy Ehrig
9:15-9:30 Iowa Economic Development Authority/Iowa Finance Authority Director Debi Durham
9:30-10:30 Patrick Woodie, North Carolina Rural Center CEO
Growing Better, Together!
10:30-11:00 Exhibitor Overview
11:00-11:30 Break
11:30-12:30 Empower Rural Iowa – What We’ve Learned and What Comes Next
Sponsored by the Iowa Finance Authority
12:30-1:45 Working Lunch; Facilitated Tables
Hotel Grinnell First Floor Event Center
Sponsored by Grinnell Mutual, Grinnell College, Grinnell Chamber and Grinnell Tourism
1:45-2:15 Break, Visit Exhibitors
2:15-3:00 Explore the Work of Empower
Drake Public Library, 930 Park Street
Sponsored by Aureon Ripple Effect
Grinnell Arts Center Main Gallery, 926 Broad Street
UCC Church Basement, 902 Broad Street
Sponsored by McClure
Hotel Grinnell Auditorium
Sponsored by IEDA
3:00 -3:30 Break
3:30-4:15 Key Issues Confronting Rural Communities: Iowa Case Studies
Grinnell Arts Center Main Gallery, 926 Broad Street
Drake Public Library, 930 Park Street
Sponsored by Delta Dental
UCC Church Basement, 902 Broad Street
4:30 IEDA Community Catalyst Awards
SBA Top Lender Award, Rural Markets
Hotel Grinnell First Floor Event Center
5:15 Rural Recognition Reception, Hotel Grinnell Event Center
Sponsored by Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
7:00 Dinner on Your Own
Fri April 12
7:00-8:00 Buffet Breakfast; Facilitated Team Work – Tables from Lunch
Hotel Grinnell First Floor Event Center
8:00-12:00 Plenary Sessions
Hotel Grinnell Second Floor Auditorium
8:00-8:05 Iowa Rural Development Council Executive Director Bill Menner
8:05-8:15 Sid Jones, President, Home State Bank, Jefferson
Taking Action: Lessons from Past Summits!
8:15-9:15 Rural Communities and Anchor Institutions
Sponsored by IADG Community Foundation
– Jim Thompson, IEDA (Facilitator)
– Brett Antczak, CEO, Palo Alto County Health System
– Tina Bakehouse, Chief Creative Officer, Malvern State Bank
– Raynard Kington, President, Grinnell College
– Deb Lucht, CEO, Minburn Communications
9:15 – 10:00 KCCI TV Anchor Eric Hanson and Bill Menner
45 Ideas in 45 Minutes: Your Chance to Share Your Best Practice
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-11:00 Telling the Rural Story – Getting the Word Out!
Sponsored by Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area
11:00-11:45 Ryan Taylor, North Dakota Writer/Rancher/Philosopher
The Logic of a Cowboy: Rural Reflections and Rope Tricks
Sponsored by The Bill Menner Group
11:45-12:00 IRDC Vice-Chair Rand Fisher
Community Challenge and Send-off 12:00 A
GRINNELL, IOWA – Leaders from more than 75 Iowa rural communities will gather in Grinnell next week to seek solutions to issues confronting them and share ideas and successes.
The third Iowa Rural Development Summit will be held in Grinnell April 10-12, bringing together elected officials, business leaders and community members from towns with populations as small as 565.
The Summit is sponsored by the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC), a public-private state non-profit that works to support small towns addressing issues such as housing, broadband access, day care, business development and leadership.
“We are thrilled to have such a crowd coming to the Summit,” said IRDC Chair Sandy Ehrig. “We continue to grow and that demonstrates the value rural leaders are getting from the Summit.”
Ehrig, who was appointed co-chair of Governor Kim Reynold’s “Empower Rural Iowa” task force last year, said the goals of the governor’s initiative are embedded in the Summit agenda.
“A number of sessions will reflect the Empower focus,” Ehrig added. “Growing rural Iowa, connecting rural Iowa, and investing in rural Iowa are all elements that every small town has to consider as they look ahead.”
The Summit will highlight success stories and local case studies throughout its 1½ day program. For example, the city of Humboldt will share the story of its journey to a new day care center, a challenge many rural communities are facing today. And the city of Mount Vernon will share its efforts to expand the number of retail businesses downtown.
Another Summit highlight will be the announcement of the 2019 Iowa Community Catalyst awards, $100,000 grants from the Iowa Economic Development Authority for the restoration or demolition of commercial buildings.
Ehrig says plans are already underway for the next Iowa Rural Development Summit, April 15-17, 2020.
Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt Governor Adam Gregg will be in Grinnell on Thursday, April 11 to attend the Iowa Rural Development Summit and help recognize recipients of the 2019 IEDA Community Catalyst awards.
The governor last year launched the Empower Rural Iowa initiative, asked Lt. Gov Gregg and Iowa Rural Development Council Chair Sandy Ehrig to lead it, appointed a 66-member task force and set a three-pronged approach to rural empowerment.
Those priorities – Connect, Grow and Invest — are the cornerstones of the 2019 Summit agenda, which is being hosted for the third time by the Rural Development Council, a statewide alliance of public and private partners focused on rural vitality.
Rural communities of under 15,000 are invited to bring a three-person team to the Summit. Registration can be completed here and must be done by March 29th.
The Summit begins with an optional workshop on rural housing Wednesday, April 10th. It starts officially at 9am on Thursday, April 11th and concludes at noon on Friday, April 12th.
All Summit activities will be held in or adjacent to the Hotel Grinnell.
For questions or additional information, contact director@iowardc.org.