Community Matters. Program Builder Offers Help for Community Development Services. In This Issue

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1 Volume 1, Issue 1 Community Matters Spring 007 Community Matters a Quarterly Publication for Iowa Leaders from Extension Community and Economic Development Program Builder Offers Help for Community Development Services Iowa State University Extension has developed an online clearinghouse of programs and services that communities can use as tools for economic development. The site, called Program Builder, offers convenient access to training, technicians, and services that address community needs. It is designed to assist local elected officials and community volunteers, such as chambers of commerce, economic development groups, professional planners and developers, and those who work with nonprofit service organizations. With Program Builder, a user can browse services ranging from training for local government officials to assistance with data analyses useful in determining economic development trends. The site provides detailed information about every service including what is available, when it is available, the cost involved, and what groups could benefit most from the service. Program Builder brings many partners into the process of helping Iowa communities. Registered users can connect with technical experts from the university and partner agencies to obtain assistance, such as the University of Northern Iowa Institute for Decision Making, the Iowa Municipal Finance Officers Association, the Iowa Association of County Auditors, the Iowa Secretary of State, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and nonprofit organizations such as the Iowa Architectural Foundation, Trees Forever, and the Iowa Geographic Information Council. Collaborators at the university include the colleges of design, agriculture, and business; the Extension Community and Economic Development program; the Institute for Design Research and Outreach; the Office of State and Local Government Programs; the Center for Industrial Research and Service; the Center for Transportation Research and Education; and several academic departments, including economics, sociology, community and regional planning, and political science. ISU Extension has a network of 100 local offices throughout the state, as well as faculty and professional staff located on campus and regionally who work extensively with the programs available through the Program Builder Web site. Visit Program Builder at iastate.edu/programbuilder/ In This Issue Page 3 New book shows communities how to achieve Results that Matter Page 3 GIS short courses offer assistance to planners Page 4 Local housing trust funds rehabilitate homes, meet needs of low-income families Page 5 ecommerce workshops offer business support for small communities Page 6 Program supports development efforts in economically distressed regions Page 9 ISU Extension takes charge of providing comprehensive community reports

2 Community Matters From the Director Dear Friends, For more than 100 years, Iowa State University Extension has provided programming to assist Iowa s communities with their community and economic development. I ll never forget helping my colleague and Extension sociologist, Dr. John Tait, clean out his office as he was about to enter retirement. We came across a report dating back to the 190s on how Extension sociologists were teaching dance at local church halls as a means of creating and sustaining community. In viewing those reports, I came to an understanding of how the traditions, missions and legacies of our past as an Extension system and Land Grant University should be drawn upon to help us create our future. Well, I like to think Extension s community-oriented programming has advanced with the times. To my knowledge, no one is currently teaching dance, but we do continue to forge meaningful partnerships to promote the community and economic development of Iowa s communities. Community Matters represents our effort to highlight some of Extension s programming, our staff and faculty accomplishments, our partnerships with other groups and organizations, and the accomplishments of our community partners. It is our intent to not only cover Extension s role in these efforts, but provide a forum for other related efforts at Iowa State University as well. Research with applications to community and economic development efforts will be covered. Outreach programs outside of the immediate ISU Extension network may also be featured. It s our hope that Community Matters will become a good read for local and state leaders to understand how we at Iowa State University can assist local communities and better their quality of life. We may no longer teach dance, but I think you will find through this newsletter we have a rather comprehensive set of community-related programs to serve Iowa. Please feel free to give your thoughts or comments on Community Matters through the address and other contact information listed below. Timothy O. Borich Director, Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development Contact Information Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development 711 South Loop Drive, Building 4, Suite 4900 Ames, IA Fax To download additional copies of this newsletter in PDF file format, go to: vol1issue1.pdf Editorial Board: Tim Borich, Abbie Gaffey, Del Marks, Jane Nolan Goeken, and Sandra Oberbroeckling Community Matters is published quarterly for Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development staff and their clients. Comments, questions, and suggestions regarding the content of this newsletter should be directed to: Sandra Oberbroeckling 711 South Loop Drive, Building 4, Suite 4900 Ames, IA Fax soberbr@iastate.edu... and justice for all The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 36-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jack M. Payne, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

3 Community Matters 3 New Book Shows Communities How to Achieve Results that Matter Today s communities face difficult challenges if they want to be tomorrow s healthy, vibrant communities. The challenge for community leaders and citizens is not just to solve specific problems today, but to keep improving their communities tomorrow. Results that Matter: Improving Communities by Engaging Citizens, Measuring Performance, and Getting Things Done addresses this challenge by providing a new governance framework for using valuable tools of community improvement to empower communities to achieve the outcomes citizens most desire. The basis for Results that Matter is the Effective Community Governance Model, which is built on three critical elements of governance: engaging citizens, measuring results, and getting things done. These elements are combined in different ways to find the most effective combination for the community, rather than just doing each of these things. ISU Extension Offers GIS Short Courses to Assist Planners Iowa State University is currently offering a series of short courses on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) geospatial technology. The courses are designed for community planners and other public officials who use GIS computer software, including ArcGIS 9.x, SketchUp, Google Earth, and Community Viz 3. Topics include Basics of ArcGIS 9.x, an ArcGIS refresher course, Landscape Modeling for Site Suitability, Introduction to GPS with GIS, and Community Viz 3. The courses, which run through July 007, range in length from one to two days and are taught in the GIS graduate laboratory, located in Room 56 of the College of Design Building on the ISU campus. Registration in advance is required and enrollments are limited to 1 participants per course. Using the techniques outlined in the book, government and nonprofit managers can achieve not only one-time community or organization improvements, but can foster continual community renewal. The book offers how to guidance to public and nonprofit managers, including promising practices for effective communities, and new roles for citizens, community leaders, and managers. In addition, case examples from 5 communities across the country reinforce the practicality of the framework. Results that Matter is the collaborative effort of three experts in the field of citizen engagement: Paul D. Epstein, principal of the New York-based consulting firm Epstein and Fass Associates; Paul M. Coates, director of the Office of State and Local Government Programs and associate professor of public policy and administration in the Iowa State University Department of Political Science; and delivered to organizations on site using a mobile lab. Alan Jensen, ISU Extension geospatial technology specialist, is coordinating the program and teaching some of the courses. In addition to Jensen, course instructors include Paul Anderson, ISU professor of landscape architecture and agronomy; Patrick Brown, analyst at the ISU GIS Support and Research Facility; Nora Lyle D. Wray, executive director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments in Hartford, CT. The book was published by Jossey-Bass in September 006 and is available at www. josseybass.com/wileycda/ WileyTitle/productCd html. For additional information, contact Paul Coates at (515) or paulc@ iastate.edu. Ladjahasan, assistant scientist with the Institute for Design Research and Outreach at ISU; Neha Mohrotra, ISU lecturer of community and regional planning; and Christopher Seeger, ISU assistant professor of landscape architecture and Extension landscape architect. For course offerings and registration information, contact Alan Jensen at or adjensen@iastate.edu. In addition to the standard classes, the program offers customized training tailored to specific requests from organizations. Specialized classes are offered either on the ISU campus or This computer-generated image of a section of downtown Fort Madison was created using Community Viz, one of the short courses offered by ISU.

4 4 Community Matters ISU Extension Helps Create Local Housing Trust Funds to Rehabilitate Homes, Meet Needs of Low-Income Families Better, more affordable housing choices, more attractive neighborhoods, and a stronger sense of community are just some of the benefits to communities participating in a program developed to make state housing funds more accessible. Extension community development field specialist, for assistance. Owens helped the group with its first application for state funds and helped establish an application process for distributing funds. To help families make the transition to home ownership and to help low-income families improve their living conditions, the Iowa General Assembly created a state housing trust fund administered by the Iowa Finance Authority that offers forgivable loans to rehabilitate existing housing. However, many Iowa communities do not have the structure in place to apply for and administer such loans. Faced with severe housing shortages caused by rapid growth and the existence of many older homes, officials in Dallas County decided to make use of the Iowa Housing Trust Fund. The board of supervisors created a housing advisory board to work with the Iowa Coalition for Housing and the Homeless and Iowa State University Extension to develop a process to apply for and use state funding for rehabilitation of existing housing in the county. The Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund board turned to Frank Owens, ISU Looking Back From CRD Newsletter No. 117, Dec. 5, 1979 Tim Borich assumed duties as the Sioux City Area CRD specialist November 1. Borich holds a BA degree in rural sociology from South Dakota State University and an MA in sociology with emphasis in political sociology and organizations from the University of South Dakota. Before joining the ISU staff, he was transit director for the Southwest Iowa Planning Council s transit agency at Griswold. Earlier he was a policy aide with the South Dakota Planning Bureau and a rural transit consultant with the South Dakota State Economic Opportunity Office. The data gathered to support the funding request show that the county population increased by 37 percent in the 1990s as the Des Moines suburbs expanded westward. The data also show that roughly 37 percent of the housing (about 16,000 units) in Dallas County was more than 40 years old. Owens assisted Dallas County in meeting the state requirements to develop a local housing assistance plan that identifies the geographic area to be served, the housing needs in the area, and the gaps in current housing. The local housing trust fund is required to be recognized by a local governing board and must show support from and collaboration with local public and private agencies. The Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund application process is administered with assistance from the West Des Moines city clerk s office. Funds totaling $165,000 from the State Housing Trust Fund have been put to work locally since the county group was formed. Each local trust fund must raise matching funds equal to 5 percent of the capital provided by the state. The trust fund has received private donations and grants as matching funds. The Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund was established in only nine months, creating a great deal of interest in this process. The Iowa Finance Authority issued a request for proposals to develop a similar process for other counties interested in housing rehabilitation. Owens applied for and was awarded a contract for approximately $156,000 to develop such a process. Counties from surrounding states are also interested in the program. The Tri- State Workforce Housing Task Force, which represents University of Missouri Extension, 13 Missouri counties, 14 The rehabilitation of this house in Redfield was completed through a partnership between Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund and Region XII Council of Governments. (Photo courtesy of West Des Moines Community Development Department.) Illinois counties, and eight Iowa counties, invited Owens to make a presentation on how to develop a local housing trust fund. Because of the success of its rehabilitation work, Dallas County is moving toward funding new construction projects. Meanwhile, Owens continues to work in various locations in the state. With his assistance, Sioux City wrote a successful application to the State Housing Trust Fund and received a grant of $13,044 for 007. Owens is also working with Linn County, Clay County, and Des Moines County and the city of Burlington. Our current plan is to start at the Mississippi River and move backward toward the middle of the state, said Owens, because there is a lack of resources in the eastern and southeastern parts of the state. Anyone interested in learning more about establishing a local housing trust fund should call Frank Owens at or send to frowens@iastate.edu.

5 Community Matters 5 Did You Know? ecommerce Workshops Offer Main Street Business Support By Jane Nolan Goeken Community Development Field Specialist Want to help reinvigorate your Main Street businesses, expand your specialty ag producers market area, and boost your local artists sales and income? Consider sponsoring an Access ecommerce Workshop in your county during 007. The Access ecommerce program was developed by the University of Minnesota Extension Service; Iowa State University Extension has purchased the curriculum for the program and is now scheduling workshops in Iowa. The Access ecommerce program is relevant and useful to a variety of audiences: Small business owners who want to make better use of their Web sites Anyone thinking about developing a Web site for a business Community Visioning Program Earns National Recognition During the past two years, the Iowa s Living Roadways (ILR) Community Visioning Program has brought rural community development in Iowa to the forefront at the state, regional, and national levels by earning three professional awards for innovation in planning. In October 005, the Iowa Chapter of the American Planning Association recognized Community Visioning with the 005 Outstanding Planning Award for a Project, Program, or Tool. People wondering what e-commerce is all about Access ecommerce is geared toward businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Past participants have included owners of existing retail and service businesses; people wanting to start Internet-based businesses; people operating homebased businesses; artists; farmers; retired people seeking new challenges; others considering alternative employment; and churches, service groups, and nonprofit organizations. This hands-on program is conducted using a computer lab and can be offered as a one-day, six-hour program or as a two-day program of two three-hour sessions. The estimated cost of either workshop format is $800, but opportunities exist to alleviate the cost. Local Internet and utilities providers have provided financial assistance to sponsor programs in several contract officer, Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT); and Shannon Ramsay, founder and CEO of Trees Forever. In May 006, Badenhope was recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) at the First Annual Central States ASLA Conference. Badenhope received an honor award in the planning category, awarded for activities Iowa communities. Participant fees of $5 to $50 per person may also be charged. In addition, assistance is available to buy down the cost from the Community Vitality Center (CVC), an independent policy analysis center established as a joint collaboration between Iowa State University and rural community leaders ( Information about the Access ecommerce program is available online at For more information about scheduling an Access ecommerce workshop in your community or to learn more about financial assistance opportunities, contact ISU Extension Community Development Field Specialist Jane Nolan Goeken at jngoeken@iastate.edu or that promote quality planning and design that is functional and environmentally responsible, while improving public health and safety. The ILR Community Visioning Program is sponsored by the Iowa DOT in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Trees Forever. More information is available at www. communityvisioning.org The following spring, the Visioning Program earned this honor at the national level from the American Planning Association and was featured in the APA awards issue of Planning, the APA magazine. The program was recognized at an awards luncheon on April 5, 006, during the national conference. Accepting the award were Julia Badenhope, program director and ISU associate professor of landscape architect; Mark Kerper, program Representatives from the Iowa DOT, ISU, and Trees Forever accept the planning award at the APA Awards luncheon.

6 6 Community Matters Research Spotlight Award-winning Research Program Supports Economic Development Efforts in Iowa s Economically Distressed Regions Since August 004, rural, economically underserved regions in Iowa have benefited from a research program that supports economic development efforts. The Targeted Industrial Development and Research program is a collaboration between the Iowa State University (ISU) Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) and the ISU Department of Economics to develop and implement research and technical services to assist Iowa s economically distressed regions. The project began with a five-county region in Southeast Iowa. David Swenson and Leisl Eathington, scientists in the ISU economics department, conducted an assessment of the region s industrial structure and created descriptive indices to identify industrial strengths in the area. This research helps multi-county groups understand the structure of their shared regional economy, said Swenson. Groups learn which elements of their regional economy are strong, stable, declining, or emerging. Those industrial structures are then assessed and graded relative to their demand for production inputs, job creation value, the education level of the workforce, compensation rates, and near-term growth potential. In spring 005 the research team produced a report that was distributed in Southeast Iowa and in spring and summer 005 made a number of presentations to the region s economic development participants and elected representatives. David Swenson makes a presentation on industrial development to a group in Creston, IA, in March 006. Regionally competitive industries include animal slaughtering and processing, steel production and fabrication, agricultural products, office furniture, and HVAC equipment. Emerging industries include office administrative and employment services, electrical power generation, plastics, printing, and computer system design and related services. This regional research process was repeated in six central counties in South Iowa in 006 and is under way in six more counties in Southwest Iowa (see map). The results of the research in South Iowa were published in June 006, and include the following findings: The workforce is older; many younger workers have relocated. A much lower percentage of the South Iowa region s residents are college graduates than in the state as a whole. The region s shares of state income, jobs, and people are all on a downward trend. The region has discernible industrial strengths, most notably in agriculture and agriculture product processing. Swenson s and Eathington s work earned ISU the 006 Economic Development Research award from the University Economic Development Association (UEDA), which was presented at the UEDA conference in October 006. The program is funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) through 007. For additional information about the targeted industrial research program, call David Swenson at or send to dswenson@iastate.edu. The reports for the Southeast and South Iowa regions are available for download: Southeast Iowa at publications/tigoinseiowa.pdf South Iowa at publications/tiginsiowa.pdf The following points are from among the study findings: The Southeast Iowa region needs to attract and retain younger, more highly educated workers. The major industrial sector in the region is manufacturing. This map shows the locations of the southeast, south, and southwest counties where targeted industrial growth research has been and is being conducted.

7 Community Matters 7 Southwest Iowa Businesses Benefit from Rural Development Resource Center Thirty-eight Southwest Iowa businesses have taken advantage of the services offered by the Rural Development Resource Center (RDRC) since it opened in June 006. Some of the benefits to these clients include one small business start, two small business expansions, two loan referrals, and the location investigation of more than 40 sites for an out-of-state, biofuels site consultant. RDRC is a communication hub that brings together resources and service providers for businesses in Southwest Iowa. Services available through the center include: Business plans and business plan development workshops Feasibility studies Capitalization support Market plans and marketing analysis Annual business evaluations Business training E-commerce support Product-to-market and cooperative advertising mechanisms Producer/grower technical assistance The primary partners that developed and secured funding for the center are Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development, the Southwest Iowa Coalition, the Grow Iowa Foundation, and the Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development. These partners began designing the center almost five years ago, assisted by Steve Adams, ISU Extension community development field specialist. In 003, Lynn Adams, also a community development field specialist for ISU Extension, joined him in the effort and the proposal and grant-writing started. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency awarded a $300,000 technical assistance grant to RDRC in late March 006. That grant, coupled with other awards received earlier, provided the center a startup budget of $646,000, according to Jim Offenbacker, president of the Southwest Iowa Coalition and executive director of the Bedford Area Economic Development group. RDRC is housed in offices provided by supporting collaborator Southwestern Community College in Red Oak. The center is the home to Iowa s only rural business accelerator, funded by the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Counties eligible to use the center include: Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Clarke, Crawford, Decatur, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Taylor and Union counties. To learn more contact RDRC at or rdrc@mchsi. com. In January 006, members of the Southwest Iowa Coalition learn of an ISU contribution allowing RDRC to begin operating. Sandra Scholl Leads Silos and Smokestacks Heritage Area Panel in Northeast Iowa Sandra Scholl, a Waterloo-based Iowa State University Extension community development field specialist, was named chair of the Partnership Panel for the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area. Silos and Smokestacks is one of 37 heritage areas established by the U.S. Congress to encourage conservation, interpretation and other activities managed by partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and the private sector. The region includes 37 counties in northeast Iowa, organized in 1996 to recognize how a distinctly American system of industrialized agriculture emerged through mechanization. Tractor design and manufacture, mechanized farming, corn-hog production, dairying, beef cattle feeding, and meat packing characterize the region, as well as the unique cultural histories of family farming and agribusiness. To date, 96 sites have been selected to take part in the program. Participant levels include partners, affiliates, and points of interest. The 15-member Partnership Panel makes recommendations on what attractions should be designated as participants in the National Heritage Area, as well as on the distribution of federal funds available for support of local sites. Information about Silos and Smokestacks is available at wwww. silosandsmokestacks.org Impact of Buy Local Campaigns Studied The impact of Buy Local campaigns on the economic health of Iowa s business communities is the topic of research conducted at Iowa State University by David Swenson, research scientist in the department of economics. Swenson has studied such campaigns in small towns as well as in larger urban areas, including Des Moines and Omaha. He reported his findings in a research paper presented in June 006 at the IMPLAN National Users Conference in Indianapolis. A 13-page summary of his findings is available online at research/webpapers/paper_1645.pdf

8 8 Community Matters Precinct Election Officials Receive Training and Certification Voters in Iowa s 1,800 election precincts should find a good system even better by the 008 presidential election as a result of a new program to train and certify local poll workers. A pilot program in Woodbury County in May 006 was the first in a series planned for precinct election officials (PEOs) in all 99 Iowa counties. Iowa State University Extension developed the training in cooperation with the Iowa State Lyon Sioux Plymouth Monona 6 Osceola Dickinson Emmet O Brien Cherokee Clay Buena Vista Woodbury Ida Sac Calhoun Crawford Palo Alto Pocahontas Carroll Greene Kossuth Humboldt Winnebago Boone Hancock Wright Marshall Harrison Shelby Audubon Guthrie Dallas Polk Jasper Poweshiek Iowa Johnson Muscatine Pottawattamie Cass Adair Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk Washington Mills Montgomery Adams Union Clarke Lucas Monroe Wapello Jefferson Fremont Page Taylor Ringgold Decatur Wayne Appanoose Davis Story Worth Cerro Gordo Franklin Mitchell Floyd Butler Webster Hamilton Hardin Grundy 3 Tama Howard Chickasaw Bremer Black Hawk Benton Van Buren 4 Shaded counties indicate where the training series has been offered at least once. Counties that held multiple sessions are indicated by a number signifying the total number of sessions held in that location in 006. Growing concern with global warming and the creation of alternative fuel sources has thrust ethanol production into the national spotlight and corn-based ethanol into the Midwest spotlight. As the nation s leading corn producer, Iowa has the majority of the nation s current ethanol production capacity. There are more than two dozen ethanol plants currently processing corn and as many or more under construction or in the planning stage. As the ethanol industry develops it is important to understand the many consequences the industry might have on the Iowa economy as a whole and, in particular, on Iowa s rural economy. ISU researchers David Swenson and Liesl Eathington address this need in Determining the Regional Economic Values of Ethanol Production in Iowa Considering Different Levels of Local Association of County Auditors, the Iowa Association of Counties, and Help America Vote Act (HAVA) programs for the Iowa Secretary of State s Office. The certification program for precinct workers resulted from an earlier program ISU Extension offered to county auditors and their deputies, who are the administrators of elections under Iowa law. Representatives from 97 counties have participated in the State Election Administrator Winneshiek Allamakee Training program, and those Fayette Clayton graduates have been strong Buchanan Delaware Dubuque advocates for the Jones Jackson precinct training Linn Clinton now being offered. Researchers Address Impact of Ethanol Plants Henry Lee Louisa Cedar Des Moines Scott Participants of the Iowa PEO Certification Investment, a research paper published at Iowa State University in September 006. Using models, the authors articulate the important economic elements of modern ethanol production, which they used to compile input-output accounts of regional economies that actually contain the production characteristics of a modern ethanol producing facility. The inputoutput model is applied to a hypothetical ethanol plant and then to four existing plants in Iowa to simulate potential output and regional economic effects. The authors report a discernible boost in the local economic impact associated with higher levels of local investment as compared to a situation where local investment is minimal. The complete 7-page report is available online at Documents/eth_full0706.pdf Program attend three, two-hour sessions. Precinct workers learn about the requirements in Iowa law designed to ensure open, honest and fair elections. Role-playing exercises and small group discussions of election issues are included in the program. Upon completion of the first year of training, two evaluations of the training program were conducted. Approximately 350 questionnaires were mailed to PEOs throughout the state who had gone through the training and 71 responses were returned. Of the questions in which respondents ranked the program, more than 90 percent of the responses are in the very good and excellent categories. Open ended responses to the questionnaires are overwhelmingly positive. Typical comments include I went away from the training with more confidence in my knowledge and abilities and It was beneficial to work in small groups in the classroom to discuss how to handle specific situations. In 006, 1,798 PEOs received training, about three times as many officials as originally expected during the first year. Eighty-five certification training series were conducted in 53 counties. Our original agreement was to train 1,800 PEOs (600 per year) in 90 trainings over three years, said Alan Vandehaar, ISU Extension community development field specialist. Because of the level of satisfaction with the program, by both auditors and PEOs in our first year, demand soared in 006. As a result, we were able to expand our contract and we will now do twice as many trainings for a total of 180 trainings over three years, he added. Twelve counties have set training dates for 007 and ten more counties have requested training but dates have not been finalized. To learn more about this program or to schedule a training session, visit iastate.edu/mnet/peotraining/home.html

9 Community Matters 9 ISU Extension Takes Charge of Providing Comprehensive Community Reports By Jane Nolan Goeken Community Development Field Specialist With the click of a mouse, an Iowan can now generate an in-depth report that examines current trends and characteristics of his or her specific community. The report includes graphs illustrating school enrollment trends; narrative explaining shifts in private sector employment between 1993 and 003; and charts comparing local median household income with county, state and nationwide figures. Take Charge, an economic development program featured on Iowa State University Extension s Office of Social and Economic Trend Analysis (SETA) Web site ( iastate.edu/takecharge/), was developed to help residents better understand the economy of their communities, assess opportunities for economic growth, and promote community teamwork. Development of the Take Charge program was supported by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Take Charge reports can be generated for all Iowa counties and incorporated cities free-of-charge via the SETA Web site. Sections of the report such as population pyramid graphs or narrative and charts detailing a community s location quotient can be viewed or printed separately or combined to serve as a comprehensive community report. The most convenient method for a community to feature its Take Charge report on its Web site is to download the report from the SETA Web site as a single PDF document and then link the PDF to the community site, according to Liesl Eathington, an industry/labor force specialist with ISU s department of economics who works with the SETA Web site. Annual information utilized in the Take Charge reports is updated regularly. We also encourage people to send in suggestions if they think there are things that could be included that we don t have, Eathington said. Eathington can be contacted via at leathing@iastate.edu or via telephone at The mission of SETA is to provide timely data and analysis that informs the economic development, community betterment, and public policy needs of the State of Iowa, and extend the information in an accessible manner to citizens of the state. Office of Social and Economic Trend Analysis Extension Community & Economic Development Moves to Research Park The office put out its shingle and opened its doors in July 006. Better accessibility for clients to community development state specialists is the goal of opening new offices in the Iowa State University Research Park south of the campus in Ames. The administrative offices of ISU Extension Community and Economic Development programming moved to 711 South Loop Drive in the Research Park in July 006. The offices are located in Suite 4900 of Building 4, whose other tenants include the Center for Transportation Research and Education, a provider of programming for many Extension Community and Economic Development clients. In addition to Tim Borich, Community and Economic Development program director, and Linda Kennedy, administrative assistant, the offices are home to Extension specialists and other university personnel who had been located in several locations across campus. Paul Coates, director of State and Local Government Programs, and Cindy Stuve, his administrative assistant, moved to the Research Park from Ross Hall. Alan Jensen, ISU Extension geospatial technology specialist, who was located in the Union County Extension office, also has an office at this location. Christopher Seeger, assistant professor of landscape architecture and Extension landscape architect, and Julia Badenhope, associate professor of landscape architecture, have offices at the research park for their outreach work. The office of the Iowa s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program, directed by Badenhope, moved to the Research Park location in October 006. Coates continues to maintain an office in the political science department, and Badenhope and Seeger will continue their teaching duties from their offices in the College of Design. Community and Economic Development administrative offices had been located in the College of Design building since July Borich maintains an office in the College of Design, where he is associate dean and a faculty member of the community and regional planning department.

10 10 Community Matters Community Development Field Staff at Full Strength for First Time Since 004 Four community development field specialists joined the Extension Community and Economic Development team in 006, bringing the field staff to full force for the first time since spring 004. Three of the new field specialists are based in Eastern Iowa two in Ottumwa and one in West Liberty and one is based in Denison. These new staff members bring additional areas of expertise to Extension Community and Economic Development with their diverse backgrounds and professional experience. Himar Hernandez Himar Hernandez was appointed community development field specialist based in Ottumwa in June 006. He works statewide on ISU Extension diversity programming, with an emphasis on Latino community development and Latino business development. Hernandez is excited about the possibilities he has at the statewide level and hopes eventually to work internationally. Prior to joining ISU Extension, Hernandez worked three years as the director of the New Iowan Center in Southeast Iowa. He is interested in applying ideas of community and economic development in developing countries, particularly those in Latin America. Hernadez especially enjoys working with Latino businesses and newcomers to Iowa and the United States. Hernandez grew up in Spain and first came to Iowa at age 15 as an exchange student. In 007 he begins work on a master s degree in international studies with a focus on economic and community development. He has traveled extensively in Central America and seeing the world helped him make a career choice in which he can help societies develop by empowering them with knowledge. I would like to focus on further developing the skills of new Iowans to better [adapt to] our society, Hernandez said. My main area of expertise is working with Hispanic businesses. I enjoy teaching the Voices Program, leadership classes, diversity presentations to Extension employees and outside groups, citizenship classes, and environmental education. Hernandez is based at the Wapello County Extension Office, 101 N. Court Street, Ottumwa, Iowa 5501; phone ; himarh@iastate.edu Diane Van Wyngarden Diane Van Wyngarden, who began as a field specialist in October 006, is also based in Ottumwa. Her areas of expertise are tourism and Elderhostel, which she is excited to bring to Extension for statewide implementation. Tourism is the third largest industry in Iowa, and it is growing, Van Wyngarden said. Many communities are turning to tourism as an economic development tool and they are unsure how to proceed. Elderhostel programs are educational travel programs for persons age 55 and older and are excellent examples of how smaller communities can capture a piece of the tourism industry. Van Wyngarden is no stranger to ISU Extension, having served as a writer for the Extension newsletter The Exchange ( ), a community development specialist in Southeast Iowa ( ), and the Mahaska County Extension education director ( ). Her absence from ISU was spent as the director of extended education and an assistant professor of education at Central College in Pella. A career in community and economic development was not so much a choice for Van Wyngarden as a natural outcome of how she was brought up. Her father (Bass Van Gilst) was an Iowa state senator for 0 years, as well as a member of the Iowa Board of Regents. Community involvement and public service were woven into every aspect of my childhood, she said. Van Wyngarden is planning a number of new programs for 007, including Exploring Unusual Societies: A Touch of History, A Taste of Utopia in Southeast Iowa and Upper Mississippi River Reflections: Historic Towns, Trails and Tales in Northeast Iowa. She is also developing a program on the presidential caucuses for January 008. Van Wyngarden is based at Indian Hills Community College, 651 Indian Hills Drive, Suite 3, Ottumwa, Iowa 5501; phone ; dvw@iastate. edu Karen Lathrop Karen Lathrop is based in West Liberty and began her appointment in October 006. Her area of expertise is economic development. Lathrop grew up in West Liberty, and after living in Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Wyoming and Wisconsin, her life has come full circle. She was attracted to the field specialist position because continued on page 11

11 Community Matters 11 Community Development Field Staff continued from page 10 it allows her to support her community and make a positive difference in West Liberty s economy and quality of life. In West Liberty she has served on several local committees, the school board, the school foundation board, and the Chamber of Commerce board, and has helped raise more than $ million for capital projects. I have been involved with West Liberty projects for years as a volunteer and I always said If I could just find a way to get paid for this! Lathrop said. Lathrop brings to Extension a nontraditional approach to sales that is a result of 16 years of corporate sales and marketing experience and a degree in sociology. I use the problem-solving model to identify the needs people have and then help them find a solution through the products/services that I can offer, she said. Lathrop s long-term goal is to build a template that outlines, step by step, the process for starting economic development programs in small towns and that can be applied in all small, rural communities. Lathrop s office is located at WE LEAD, 405 N. Elm Street, Suite, West Liberty, Iowa 5776; phone ; klathrop@iastate.edu Abbie Gaffey Abbie Gaffey joined ISU Extension in November 006 and is based in Denison. Her areas of expertise are leadership development and organization development. Gaffey applied for the position in Extension because she loves working in community and economic development and had decided she would like to do so on a larger scale. She considers her new responsibility for leadership development and economic development in 40 counties in Western Iowa, from the Minnesota border to the Missouri border, to be appropriately audacious in comparison to her previous work in inner city neighborhoods. Gaffey began her professional career as a journalist, but applied her writing skills to grant writing, which landed her a grant writing and project management position with the City of Sioux City. I ve had opportunities to work in almost every subcategory of community and economic development: planning, social services, housing, program development, taxation issues, citizen participation, real estate, public finance, public improvements, etc., Gaffey said. It is odd to go from journalist, to generalist, to specialist! Gaffey is working with Sandy Scholl and Don Broshar on the Leadership Development Project, teaching Developing Dynamic Leaders workshops statewide. She also helps the County Extension education directors (CEEDs) enhance Extension s presence in economic development by establishing or enhancing relationships with other economic development organizations. Her role is to increase the CEEDs capacity through training and materials and increasing their comfort level with their roles in economic development. Gaffey is based at the Crawford County Extension Office, 35 S. Main Street, Denison, Iowa 5144; phone ; agaffey@iastate.edu NE Iowa Community Development Conference Discusses Small Town Entrepreneurship Nearly 100 participants attended the fourth annual Northeast Iowa Community Development Conference held in September in Decorah. Small Towns on the Road to Success was the theme for the event, which opened with a keynote presentation by Adam Bock, entrepreneur and lecturer from the University of Wisconsin School of Business at Madison. He described what attracts start-up and grown businesses to a community. The conference offered breakout sessions on successful community development programs in northeast Iowa, on entrepreneurship, and on community investments. Participants had an opportunity to join a walking tour of downtown businesses in Decorah, and a roundtable session offered information and answers from several agency service providers. The luncheon session featured the music of the Native American flute by George Leduc, a traditional storyteller, performer and recording artist. The one-day event was organized by a planning committee headed by Sandra Scholl, ISU Extension community development field specialist based in Waterloo, and consisted of representatives of about a dozen development organizations, government agencies and public utilities from throughout Northeast Iowa. Ten electric cooperatives in the area provided financial support and conference materials were prepared and printed by Dairyland Power Cooperative. Participants included community development officials, volunteers, and board members from across northeast Iowa, as well as elected officials and representatives of public agencies. Ideas presented at the conference that attendees said they would take home with them include how to create and benefit from community foundations, the need to find people who have a passion for a community project and put them in charge, what entrepreneurs need from communities, and sources of startup funding and targeted funding.

12 1 Community Matters New in Print from ISU Extension Iowa s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program Process Manual (ISU Extension Publication PM 09, July 006, $0) Iowa s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program Process Manual was developed specifically for facilitating the Community Visioning Program process. However, the methods used may be helpful to city and county planners, local officials, design professionals, and others engaged in community development programs. The visioning process was designed with the dynamics of smalltown relationships in mind. The Process Manual is a workbook that can assist facilitators, local officials and volunteers, and other stakeholders in small communities as they negotiate through the public participation process. Readers will learn how participatory processes work and the roles of the various players, such as facilitators, community leaders, stakeholders, and professional designers. Street Design in Community Contexts: A Literature Review (ISU Extension Publication PM 030, October 006, $8) Street Design in Community Contexts looks at street design from viewpoints outside the driver s seat, touching on issues such as economic development, public health and safety, transportation choices, street life and culture, and aesthetics. The publication introduces the audience to ten of the essential written works on streets undertaken since 1960 and provides a list of Internet sites and publications. The first publication in this series, Roadside Design in Communities: Planting Guidelines for Community Beautification (PM 003, June 005), describes how plants can be used to improve community image and introduces readers to issues and possibilities of roadside planting. These publications and more are available from ISU Extension at www. extension.iastate.edu/store/ Community and Economic Development 711 South Loop Dr., Bldg. 4, Suite 4900 Ames, IA