Share D.M.’s expertise for a stronger Iowa

Georgia Van Gundy | Executive Director, Iowa Business Council

The Idea: I was born and raised in the Des Moines area and have seen many changes in our community over time. I have seen communities that once seemed like a long distance away become part of our larger metro community. The lessons we learned as a community are resilience, innovation and working together to share our leadership and drive for success no matter what part of the community is being developed. In our metro area, we have benefited from population growth as people have moved from the rural communities. This migration has allowed our communities in the metro area to grow and prosper independently. In order to make Des Moines greater, we cannot forget the other parts of our state that will help fuel and sustain our community. Going forward, we need to make a concerted effort to lend our expertise and leadership to our rural communities that have fed our prosperity. Help these communities develop innovative strategies to keep their main streets prosperous just like we turned around the East Village. Work with them to establish strong leadership in their communities that can guide them through the changes to keep their communities vital. Develop entrepreneurship by sharing some of our best practices like the Global Insurance Accelerator. Share best practices in working with education and businesses to create our future workforce. As rural Iowa  strengthens, the overall economy of Iowa strengthens, which in the end allows the Des Moines area to continue to grow and prosper into the future. >