Chamber, economic development foundation will no longer share director

The Mills County Economic Development Foundation and the Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce have announced their plans to formally separate on July 1.
    

Technically, the economic development foundation and chamber have always been separate organizations with each agency having its own governing board.  However, beginning July 1, they will no longer share an executive director.
    

In a letter sent to members last month, Mills County Economic Development Foundation Board President Larry Winum and Glenwood Area Chamber of  Commerce Board President Scott Erickson said the collaborative separation was in the strategic plans of both organizations.

“We’ve always tended to agree that it had to happen if we were going to be proactive for both the chamber and economic development foundation,” Winum said. “One of the challenges we’ve always talked about is that one executive director just can’t get everything done for both organizations. That’s just impossible. You don’t find very many communities our size where you have one person wearing both hats.

It’s been a challenge.

“It’s impossible to get it all done – you’re working on RAGBRAI, you’re working on the betterment banquet or you’re working on holidays around the square and then all of a sudden you get a call from Des Moines and you have to drop everything you’re doing because you have to get something out to a potential prospect who wants to move to the area.”

Beginning July 1, the Mills County Board of Supervisors will pay the salary of the economic development foundation’s executive director. The executive director will be a county employee with full benefits.
“With some of the attention we’re starting to get out at the (Highway 34 – Interstate 29) interchange now, the county made the decision that we need to be a little more proactive,” Winum said. “The bridge has created a lot of inquiries.

“To take it a step further, we’re going to be a little more proactive from an economic development standpoint. That might mean strengthening the relationship with the state department of economic development in Des Moines or getting more information to potential businesses/corporations.”

Mills County Auditor Carol Robertson said the board of supervisors’ decision to fund the economic development position centers on the desire and potential for growth, particularly near the 29/34 interchange.

“The county has invested a lot at the 29/34 corridor and we want to see the county grow,” Robertson said.

Erickson said it will take some time to determine what changes the chamber board will be making as a result of the new arrangement, but the move should prove to be beneficial in the long term.
“We’re excited because now you get somebody fully devoted to doing chamber things,” Erickson said. “Moving forward, we’re going to have a devoted chamber director to bring great ideas for great growth opportunities and different events to be held within the Glenwood community.”

Erickson said the chamber has helped bring some new events to the Glenwood community in recent years, such as the Spring Into Summer and Home For The Holidays events and he envisions even bigger and better celebrations in the future.

Erickson said the chamber office will remain at City Hall.
Winum said more than 200 businesses are members of either the chamber or the economic development foundation. Some are members of both organizations.

“What we’re trying to communicate to our members is that this isn’t going to raise anybody’s dues or anything like that,” Winum said.