Rural Communities Invited to Attend Iowa Rural Summit

GRINNELL, IOWA (February 14, 2019) — Leaders from small towns across Iowa are invited to attend the third Iowa Rural Development Summit, to be held April 10-12 at the Hotel Grinnell in Grinnell. Prior summits in Jefferson (2016) and Grinnell (2018) drew more than 300 attendees from communities across Iowa. "The 2019 Iowa Rural Development Summit is a chance to build on the momentum that exists statewide in regard to the viability of small towns and the strategies for success that already exist," said Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) chair Sandy Ehrig. "The Summit brings small-town leaders together, allows them to share successes and best practices, and consider solutions to common problems they face." The IRDC, a statewide partnership of government, education, association, utility, non-profit and for-profit entities focused on rural issues, has sponsored each of the first two summits. Ehrig said they provided an outstanding opportunity for leaders from non-metro communities with populations less than 15,000 to develop local strategies while networking with a statewide assembly of peers. "This year, Governor Reynolds' "Empower Rural Iowa" initiative will be a topic of much discussion through the summit," Ehrig added. "The governor's initial focus on housing, broadband connectivity and leadership development will be featured in both panel discussions and more targeted break-out sessions. An optional pre-Summit "deep dive" into housing development, local strategies and financing options is set for Wednesday afternoon, April 10," she said. Other agenda topics include rural day care, livability, retail recruitment and communications. North Carolina Rural Center Executive Director Patrick Woodie will present the opening keynote address on April 11. Woodie's 32-year-old organization has built a national reputation for its successful implementation of rural strategies focused on workforce, infrastructure, health care and manufacturing while operating multiple financing programs targeting small and emerging businesses. Syndicated columnist Ryan Taylor will conclude the summit on April 12. Taylor, a Towner, ND, rancher and former state legislator, has several books based on his long-running "Cowboy Logic" newspaper column. He is a member of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame and is widely known for his humor, rancher's insights, cowboy hat and rope tricks. Rural communities seeking to attend the 2019 Iowa Rural Development Summit must have a three-person team in place to register at https://rdcsummit2019.eventbrite.com. The cost for an entire community is $180, which includes breakfast on Thursday and Friday, lunch on Thursday, and a Rural Recognition reception on Thursday evening. "We ask communities to bring a team because there is strength in numbers," Ehrig said. "An individual can attend a conference and return home inspired. But a team can attend, be inspired, return home and already have momentum!" In addition, high-performing rural communities will be recognized at the Summit when Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham announces recipients of the 2019 Community Catalyst Awards. For more information, contact director@iowardc.org.