Op-Ed - 2018 Archive

The year 2018 will go down as an incredible year of growth in Ames and Story County. Last week, we had a joint meeting of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission boards to cap the year and celebrate our successes. During that meeting, I mentioned a number of highlights from the year that alone are impressive, but combined are outstanding.

We are heading into that spectacular time of year again. A time for celebration and reflection of all that makes Ames and Story County so very vibrant.

We are extremely fortunate to live in a vibrant and financially thriving community. Because of outstanding local leadership at the state, county, and municipal levels, Ames and Story County continue to flourish. We continue to see investment throughout the community that equates to a high quality of life here in Story County. This vitality doesn’t happen by chance – it is a direct result of strong and visionary leadership.

Diversity and inclusion have been brought to the forefront of workforce dialogue, and it’s a conversation that is long overdue. As I meet with Chamber members, it’s clear that the business community is thirsty for more information on this important topic.

Earlier this month, my wife and I attended a truly unique event in downtown Ames: the inaugural “Farm to Table” dinner hosted by the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market (the Market). If you didn’t hear about this event, let me tell you that it was fantastic.

On July 24 we will welcome over 20,000 visitors from around the world to our community, and we need you to help ensure their Ames RAGBRAI experience is unforgettable!

Each summer, many companies in Ames and Story County hire student interns. And for the past six years, the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC) has partnered with local businesses to show these interns that Ames isn’t just a great place to get a degree, but also the Smart Choice in deciding where to start their career.

May 7-12 the Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC) will take part in Economic Development Week, celebrating the power of partnerships and highlighting the importance of a coordinated economic development effort in communities.

Whether you have kids in either of the school districts or not, the outcome of this special election is extremely important to our community as a whole.

One word. If you have one word to describe your life in 2018, what would that word be?