AMES, IOWA – Registration opens February 15 for the 7th annual Iowa Rural Summit, to be held April 11-12 at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center, Ames IA. Past years’ gatherings of leaders from rural communities from across the state have drawn crowds of almost 400.
Rural communities are once again being asked to bring a three-person team to the Summit, an approach that has helped generate post-Summit momentum in previous years for those places that were represented. Three-person community teams can go online and register at a special, discounted rate. Interested individuals can also register online.
The Summit is sponsored by the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC), a public-private statewide non-profit that works to support small towns addressing issues such as housing, broadband access, business development and leadership.
The 2023 Rural Summit will feature keynote addresses from two powerful speakers. Danielle Nierenberg is the opening speaker on Tuesday, April 11. In 2013, Danielle founded Food Tank, a nonprofit organization focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. She won a Julia Child Award in 2020 for her work. Carrie Henning-Smith will provide the closing keynote on Wednesday, April 12. Carrie is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the UM Rural Health Research Center and Rural Health Program. Her work focuses on health equity for rural residents, with particular attention to structural barriers to health and social well-being.
Click for Rural Summit 2023 Agenda
Summit Highlights from Iowa Rural Summit 2022
- Place and Attitude Matter in Rural Communities
- Innovative Ag Tech Efforts Thrive in Rural Iowa
- New Ideas for Bringing Hotels to Small Towns
- 2020 Census Brings Opportunity, Challenge to Rural Iowa
- Leading Rural Development Means Being an “Influencer”
Summit Speakers
Danielle Nierenberg
Founder, Food Tank
Danielle Nierenberg is a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture. In 2013, Danielle Nierenberg co-founded Food Tank (foodtank.com) with Bernard Pollack, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Food Tank is a global convener, thought leadership organization, and unbiased creator of original research impacting the food system. Danielle has an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and spent two years volunteering for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. Danielle is the recipient of the 2020 Julia Child Award.
Dr. Carrie Henning-Smith
Associate Professor
Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW is an Associate Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center and University of Minnesota Rural Health Program. She is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Applied Gerontology and the Journal of Rural Mental Health and a member of the National Rural Health Association Board of Trustees. Her work focuses on health equity for rural residents, with particular attention to structural barriers to health and social well-being. Dr. Henning-Smith holds a BA in international relations and gender studies from Claremont McKenna College; master’s degrees in public health and social work, along with a certificate in gerontology from the University of Michigan; and a PhD in health services research with a minor in demography from the University of Minnesota.LOCATION | Gateway Hotel and Conference Center
A memorable experience awaits you at Gateway Hotel and Conference Center at Iowa State University! You’ll find us in the heart of Ames, Iowa – an easy walk from the campus of ISU and just 30 miles from downtown Des Moines. As one of the few full-service hotels in the city (and home to the largest conference center), we provide a modern, welcoming destination for work or play.
Summit Sponsors
