Last year, we helped develop Build a Better Boone, a collaboration that brought together key organizations across the Boone community on a regular basis. The key entities include the City of Boone, Boone County, Visit Boone County, Boone Community School District, Boone Chamber of Commerce, and the Boone County Economic Growth Corporation, an organization that we lead. The goal of Build a Better Boone is to facilitate an open line of communication between key community organizations, provide opportunities to give updates, and help cultivate long-lasting relationships. This is just a small part of the work we do in Boone County. I’ve been asked several times why we work in Boone, as well as other adjacent communities, and the answer is simple: Boone’s success will resonate across the region. The positive impact of economic development does not stop at city or county borders. This concept applies to all of our neighboring communities: Nevada, Huxley, Story City, and the other communities in the two-county region. When we get leads from the state of Iowa for economic development projects, we explore options across the two counties. When our federal representatives visit the region, we facilitate business tours in Ames, Boone, and Nevada. When Huxley needs help getting the final funding for their new splash pad, we help secure the grant funding. The same can be said for the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center in Ames. Over the past several years, our organization has grown into a regional business and community development organization. It was work that happened out of necessity and grew organically. Today, we have community partners across the region as our area continues to prosper. Whether you live in Boone or Story County, I encourage you to take advantage of the businesses and amenities in your immediate community, but also those across the Ames MSA. Together, we will continue to collaborate to take this region to new heights as a critically important area of the state.
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Earlier this month, we recognized individuals and businesses who have shown exemplary service and commitment in their profession or in the community at our Annual Awards ceremony. This is a tradition that has continued since 1987, and it’s an event that I look forward to each year. This year’s awards ceremony spanned 15 different categories. In all, we handed out 34 awards to individuals and businesses. From community partnerships, generous giving, job creation, and highlighting volunteerism, this year’s honorees continue to impress upon me the amazing work that takes place across the Ames MSA. I encourage you to follow our social media channels over the next month to learn more about each award winner. We will also be featuring these individuals and businesses in our next Traction magazine that will be out this March. It's that time of year where we simultaneously look forward to the next twelve months while also looking back at the year that just concluded. If you have not yet seen our 2023 Annual Report, I encourage you to do so. There is no way to fully capture a year like the one we had in 2023, but we’ve effectively highlighted key areas in that document. From membership growth and highly attended events to economic development projects, expanded regional partnerships, and how each affiliate organization flourished this year, it truly was a banner year for our organization. I anticipate that 2024 will be just as good. One of my goals this year is to lead with positivity. It’s easy to get caught up in the political divide that our nation is experiencing. You won’t see that from me. Instead, I am choosing to focus on the positive this year. It is a theme that I may continue to talk about. I am proud of our team, of each of our members, and what our region in Boone and Story County is accomplishing. That isn’t to say that we do not have challenges, but those can be overcome through fostering relationships and working together. Here’s to a banner year to you and your organization. As you move throughout the year, let us help celebrate with you! Author Tommy Spalding was the keynote speaker at our Annual Luncheon event on December 5, 2023, held at Cornerstone Church. His message of servant leadership is one that resonates with me, and I was excited to hear him speak. Leadership is something that I think about often, always aspiring to be better, yet continually feeling as though I come up short. I have come to the conclusion that this is the path of leadership, and the finish line is always in the distance. There are a lot of takeaways when listening to Tommy speak or if you’ve read one of his books. One of the most obvious and striking is his sincerity when talking with people. He will be talking with a person he’s just met and be genuinely interested in their story: what drives them and how they arrived at this spot in their life. He takes time to listen, learn, ask questions, and unpack the nuance of their life. He finds purpose in these conversations and eventually shares many of them through his speaking opportunities and books. Research has shown (I’m paraphrasing the concept here) that we impact 80,000 people in our lifetime. We will all fill a stadium full of people with our interactions, and the question remains what will they say about us? That question is not intended to feel heavy or philosophic. If we all ask ourselves this question, the intention is that it should positively influence our interactions moving forward. When I stop and actively think about this question, Spaulding’s words help me slow down and be present. If you ever have an opportunity to listen to Tommy speak, take it. In the meantime, read one of his books. I recently finished The Gift of Influence. We had a terrific year here at the Ames Chamber of Commerce and I was excited to cap the year on a high note with Tommy’s uplifting message. At no point in my career have I been part of a stronger team that tirelessly serves our members and communities. This year was great, and I fully anticipate that 2024 will be another banner year for the organization and our region. Thanks to each of you for your investment and ongoing support of what we do here at 304 Main Street. Enjoy the balance of 2023 and here is to an incredible 2024. This year’s Inter-City Visit to Lafayette / West Lafayette, Indiana, October 18-20, was an overwhelming success. This was the sixth Inter-City Visit that we have hosted, and each one has delivered on the purpose of learning from comparable communities. When selecting communities to visit, we always try to find those that are of similar size and home to a large university. The Greater Lafayette region checked these boxes and is home to Purdue University. Our delegation included representation from across the Ames MSA, and included governmental and community leaders from Ames, Boone, and Nevada. As is often the case, it is the time between the panels where discussions take place and ideas begin to foster. We compare notes, push and challenge each other, and build relationships that truly impact the region. When we go on trips like this, it is easy to point to aspects of their community that we wish we could transport to our region. It is easy to get the feeling that we are missing the mark. I have found that feeling to be part of the journey to improve our community as it challenges us to be better. As I returned, however, I was quickly reminded of the amazing things that we have here in the Ames MSA. Before I close, I want to encourage you to attend our Annual Luncheon event, Tuesday December 5, from 11:00am - 1:00pm at Cornerstone Church. The event will feature New York Times Bestselling author, Tommy Spaulding. His message about being an inspirational leader is truly incredible. Many of our companies would consider sending their team across the country to hear him speak for professional development, yet here he is in Ames. Registration for the event is open to the public, and I assure you that you will find value, as will others inside your organization, from hearing Tommy’s message. Registration can be found on the Ames Chamber of Commerce website. This past weekend, I walked my daughter Katie down the aisle and gave her hand to her husband (and my new son-in-law) Hugh. The ceremony and reception were perfect, and I could not be more proud of them as a couple. For some reason, I scheduled my annual physical examination with my primary care physician a few days prior to the ceremony. The conversation was direct, poignant, and heard loud and clear when he reminded me to take care of myself. I work out nearly every day, but since then, my workouts have been more intense because what I was doing was apparently not enough. For those of you who know me, I work relentlessly and run hard in everything I do. I think I’m wired that way, but now I need to run harder. My message this month is simple: run hard with me in all that you do. Network, engage, and make things happen in your personal and professional life. Be creative and be an inspiration to your co-workers, family, and friends. Don’t sit around and wait for it to come to you but be the leader that your team needs. I am excited for what is next for Katie and Hugh, and I’m excited for what is to come for our communities for when we collectively run hard together. I recently finished the book Fans First: Change the Game, Break the Rules, & Create an Unforgettable Experience by Jesse Cole. It was a book that was recommended to me by a colleague, and I must say it is an exceptional (and quick) read. Jesse Cole is the owner of the Savannah Bananas and the book outlines their approach to creating a Fans First philosophy for the organization’s decision-making. If you’re unaware, the Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. Over the past several years, they have risen to national prominence through their zany marketing and on-field antics. They were recently in Des Moines and played to a sell out crowd. The book begins by saying, “Whatever’s normal, do the exact opposite.” Their entire business arose out of the concept of doing things differently. Through this thinking, they have transformed the game of baseball, from their marketing to the rules of play within the game that they have implemented. Everything the Bananas do is unconventional, and generally speaking, should not work. Sometimes their ideas do not work, but they have a “let’s give it a shot” mentality to nearly every idea, and it has paid off. Money does not drive their decision-making and they have rid themselves of all organizational policies. Rather, their thinking is always “Fans First” and driven by creating a great experience for their guests. Without giving the entire book away (because I encourage you all to read it), one story stuck with me. The Bananas partnered with a food vendor for a promotion leading up to the game. Ticket buyers could receive a free sandwich prior to entering the game. It all sounded great until some of their staff were implementing a policy (they still had policies at this time) that no food could enter the stadium. As a result, families had to eat outside of the stadium, on curbed concrete in the hot sun, and went home with a poor experience. This story is one of many in the book that points out how poor experiences can impact the way customers view your business. I am not sure that I am at a place where I can adopt some of their crazy ideas, but the book reminded me of the importance of putting our customers first and to constantly assess how our organization is meeting the needs of our members, investors, and community stakeholders. One of our core values is being customer driven and I certainly hope we live up to that each and every day. The book touts that “Normal leaders read normal books and get normal results. But if you’re ready to change the game, break the rules, and create your own unforgettable team, then it’s time to go Fans First.” If you’re looking for a book recommendation, I certainly suggest this one and I look forward to talking with anyone who has read it. In July, the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, known to all of us as RAGBRAI, once again visited Ames as an overnight stop. This was the 50th anniversary of the Iowa summer tradition and Ames has been part of it from the beginning. Ames was an overnight stop on the original 1973 RAGBRAI route, and the city served as an overnight town in 1983, 2008, and most recently in 2018. By most accounts, the day was an incredible success and Ames showcased well for the 60,000+ guests that stopped here. The weather was hot, but when riders got to Ames, experienced Jack Trice Stadium, visited Downtown Ames, and let loose with Hairball and their litany of sing-along anthem songs, it felt great to be in Ames. Thank you to Discover Ames who served our community as the lead organization for the overnight stop. They did an amazing job and were a great partner with other organizations that included the City of Ames, Story County, Iowa State University, and the Ames Chamber of Commerce, along with many other businesses who prepared for the day and volunteers who were essential to making the day a success. Few realize how much of a heroic feat it is to host an event like this, and to do it well. I’m hesitant to even attempt to calculate the number of hours our community invested into this one day, not to mention the financial commitment that was required across our community. There are a lot of ways that we could try to determine our return on investment for this day. I would encourage us to not get caught up in those details, but to acknowledge that it is simply the right work. RAGBRAI is an event that provides national attention to our state, and it is only possible because of individual community commitments to make it successful. From the accounts that I heard, Ames shined on that day, and that was a result of our community coming together to embrace the chaos. The President & CEO role of many organizations must look at the “big picture,” or serve as the visionary leader. Part of that is focusing on the culture of the organization, establishing and maintaining relationship with stakeholders, putting into place a strong team, and moving forward the big rocks that help distinguish an organization. Over the years, I have grown into this role, and I do my best to equip our team to do the work and provide the services that truly makes our organization special. For those of you who know me, you know that I believe attention to detail is one way to showcase excellence. This is a part of my personality that creates tremendous joy and is also a source of self-induced frustration. I am the person who walks into the office and rearranges the magazine rack, even if it is only slightly out of place. Typos seem to jump out at me within moments of looking at a publication. I see weeds on the sidewalk and move chairs to their appropriate location when out of place. I am self-aware enough to know that many of these things are not a huge detail in the grand scheme of things, but in my heart, I know that the details are where the care, passion, and joy of a person’s work shines through. I point them out to our staff. I don’t make them into a big deal (because I often know that they are not), but I still firmly believe that they matter. I drove through Campustown the other day and the beauty of the medians brought me great joy. In May 2021, our organization, along with The Ames Foundation, Kingland Systems Corporation, and the Campustown organization at the time, invested time and money into the updated landscape. We didn’t need to, but in my opinion, that corridor matters to our community. Today, they continue to serve as a great entrance to the thousands of students and families that visit Iowa State University, and our community, every year. Additionally, if you have walked through Downtown Ames, I hope you noticed the new flower beds along Main Street, as they provide an aesthetic that truly makes a difference. The beauty and attention to detail demonstrates pride in our community and I’m glad our organization continues to play a role in that. If you are a leader for your organization, I encourage you to emphasize the details. Pay attention to them and recognize when your team cares enough to attend to them. The beauty of our community is all around us and it can often be seen in the details. You just have to look. Every other month, we have an all-staff meeting where we get together for lunch, laugh on a personal level, and cover a variety of business along the way. Even though we see each other on a weekly basis, these meetings are great ways for us to connect, provide updates, and recalibrate on key issues. I’m sure many of you have either led or been part of meetings like this in your business or organization. This year, we are dedicating much of this time to professional development. If you’re like me, that term is not always something that you look forward to. I am a firm believer in professional development, but throughout my career, this term has mostly applied to “sit-and-get” opportunities where I sat for a period of time and received an enormous amount of information, and it was up to me to discern what was actually worthwhile. Early in my career, I was the up-and-coming economic development professional who had his entire career in front of him. During those early years (and in many ways, it continues today), I have been fortunate to have great leaders around me who mentored me, provided feedback, gave me permission to take chances, and helped me develop professionally. Here at the Ames Chamber of Commerce, I want to provide those catalytic opportunities for our team. I want to afford our people the opportunity to improve their craft and understanding of our industry, but also to build the soft business skills that can make them well-rounded professionals. This year, we are engaging in communication training. During the first session, we each completed a Strengths Finder Assessment that helped each of us understand what we naturally do best and how to maximize our talents for the organization. Depending on where we are at in our career, these assessments can provide insights and clarity. For me, it provided language and reinforced things that I already knew. Just as interesting to me, however, is to be able to see and contemplate the strengths of others. I appreciate seeing how the talents of others are hard-wired into them and it challenged my thinking of how we not only embrace those talents, but how we leverage them when we consider whether each person is in the right seat. Session two looked at non-verbal communication to help us understand what is being said even when nobody is saying anything. Over half of what we communicate is non-verbal. What are we saying with our body language and how can we be conscious of it to improve ourselves professionally? I look forward to the remainder of the year as these sessions continue. Although each one is light-hearted and fun, the investment helps build and grow our staff professionally. It will allow us to develop better relationships, build confidence in our team, and ultimately provide better service to the business community of the Ames MSA. Next month, May 8-12, we will celebrate Economic Development Week. It is a hallmark week for our organization as we pride ourselves on being a driving force of economic development for our region. In many ways, we have already started the celebration. If you follow our social media accounts, you may have seen that many of our governmental agencies from the city councils in Ames, Boone, Gilbert, Huxley, Nevada, and Ogden, as well as the board of supervisors for both Boone County and Story County, have passed proclamations acknowledging the week. Although the proclamations are in many ways symbolic, the work that these agencies and governmental leaders do is incredibly real. We have fantastic partners across the region. Economic development includes programs, policies, and activities that improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community. There are a lot of ways to measure economic development, but here are a few primary areas that we often think about as an organization:
That last point of business retention and expansion is key to the economic success of our region. A large part of job growth in any region is the result of businesses and companies growing and expanding. As a result, we are excited to share that starting in July 2023, a new team member will be joining our organization who will be specifically tasked with this responsibility. Ottie Maxey will join the Ames Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Commission with a primary purpose to make business retention and expansion visits to companies in our region. The “official” announcement will come later this summer, and in the meantime, if you have questions, never hesitate to reach out to any member on our team. This growth in our organization is exciting as it will provide us more capacity to serve our members. As I close, I want to thank you for your role in being an economic developer in our community. For business owners, each day that you open your doors, that is economic development to us. Each employee that you bring into your organization, that is economic development. If you are reading this as a community member, know that each time you spend money in our county, or recommend a business to a friend or family member, you are supporting economic development. |
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February 2024
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