ae 1 community matters - iowa state university...seeger designed a web portal and a smartphone app,...

Community MattersISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development 1

Community MattersVolume 5, Issue 2

2011

a Quarterly Publication for Iowa Leaders from Extension Community and Economic Development

Page 4 Design students contribute to a progressive approach to rehabilitation

Page 5 Leadership West Liberty offers training model for small towns

Page 6 ISU students' vision of sustainable housing has become a reality

Page 8 Study shows impact of 2008 floods on different communities' housing needs

1 Summit at ISU says "YES" to rural entrepreneurs

In This Issue

continued on page 3

New Smartphone App Helps Iowans Show ISU's Impact On Their LivesBy Sandra Oberbroeckling Community Relations Specialist

Iowa State University and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) added a new twist to the Iowa State Fair exhibit this year. With a focus on Main Street, Iowa, the exhibit featured a kiosk where fairgoers could view pictures showing how ISU and ISUEO have impacted communities throughout the state.

While illustrating impacts using photos is nothing new, this exhibit was special because the public provided many of these photos by uploading them with their smartphones.

This miracle of modern technology was created by Christopher Seeger, ISUEO landscape architect and associate professor of landscape architecture. Seeger designed a web portal and a smartphone app, giving Iowans the option of uploading their photos at a computer or taking photos with their smartphones and uploading them to the site from any location.

Here’s how it works: The smartphone app and web portal allowed each photo, along with a description typed in by the user, to be submitted to a central database. The system tracked from which counties the photos were sent and geocoded their locations. Geographic information

systems (GIS) technology was used to create thematic map services and provide a framework for displaying a map and a photo gallery in a browser window on a large screen at the state fair, as well as on the project website.

More than 1,500 photos from 232 communities were uploaded before and during the state fair, which took place August 11–21. Submissions could be people or projects. For instance, if the local veterinarian were an ISU graduate, his or her photo would be eligible. Photos ranged from 4-H and master gardener projects to safety training to photos of Road Scholars cruising the Mississippi River.

While the fair is over, the web portal and iPhone app have the potential to be adapted for any community involvement

Top: Woodbine, Harrison Co.: Participation in the Community Visioning Program led to a grant-funded sustainable public art project at the city's gateway, preserving the old wooden grain elevator. Middle: Sidney, Fremont Co.: Local volunteer firefighters help educate youth in a babysitting class on how to use a fire extinguisher. Bottom: McGregor, Clayton Co.: ISUEO specialists assist entrepreneurs, including this new agritourism business in eastern Iowa.

Community Matters2 ISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development

organizations with which we partner is just one indication of breadth of our programming and the complexity of the issues that need to be addressed in Iowa’s communities.It’s just not us. We don’t work alone. Whether it’s leading or supporting the types of partnerships mentioned in this edition of Community Matters, it’s always done with our educational and applied research mission in mind with the ultimate goal of community and economic development.

Timothy O. Borich Director, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development

From the Director

Contact InformationIowa State University Extension and OutreachCommunity and Economic Development2711 South Loop Drive, Building 4, Suite 4900Ames, IA 50010-8664515-294-8397Fax 515-294-1354www.extension.iastate.edu/communities

To download additional copies of this newsletter in PDF file format, go to:

www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/newsletter/vol5issue2.pdf

To change your mailing information, contact Cindy Stuve at [email protected].

Find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ISU.Extension.CED

Program Builder at your fingertips:

Editorial Board: Tim Borich, Abbie Gaffey, Karen Lathrop and Sandra Oberbroeckling

Community Matters is published quarterly for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development staff and their clients. Comments, questions, and suggestions regarding the content of this newsletter should be directed to:

Sandra Oberbroeckling, editorISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development2711 South Loop Drive, Building 4, Suite 4900Ames, IA 50010515–294–3721Fax 515–294–[email protected]

. . . and justice for allThe US Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities? v c;. nnnbmwho require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice or TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD).

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture. Cathann Kress, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

Dear Friends:We are not alone.No need to start scanning the skies for UFOs. I'm not referencing The War of the Worlds, but rather the world of community and economic development.Reading through the drafts of this edition of the Community Matters newsletter, I was reminded of how our Extension Community and Economic Development programming grows from the partnerships in which we participate. Virtually all community and economic development in Iowa is a result of the efforts of more than one person or organization. When Iowa State University Extension and Outreach engages in local and regional development efforts, it is invariably part of larger coalitions.As you scan this edition, make note of the many organizations with which we continue to work: • Sioux City Downtown Partnership

• Iowa Finance Authority

• YMCA of Black Hawk County

• Iowa Department of Economic Development

• Southwest Iowa Coalition

• Keokuk Chamber of Commerce

• City of Fairfield

• City of West Liberty

• Center on Sustainable Communities

• Iowa Correctional Institution for Women

• Adams County Commission on Sustainability

• Iowa League of Cities

• University of Iowa

• US Small Business Administration

• USDA Rural Development

That’s just the partners involved in the projects and programs found in a single issue of the newsletter. There is not room here to list all of our collaborators.Just as communities are complex systems, addressing their needs and promoting their advancement typically involves neither simple solutions nor single organizations. The variety of the


Main Street from page 1

project that requires geospatially-attributed information. Seeger has already used an existing smartphone app to gather data as part of the Iowans Walking Assessment Logistics Kit (I-WALK) (see article in Community Matters, volume 5, issue 1).

Seeger; Dan Otto, associate director of ISUEO Community and Economic Development and professor of economics; and Diane Van Wyngarden, community development specialist and Road Scholar program coordinator received a grant from North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) to use GIS technology to assist communities in identifying and locating tourism resources.

Other potential uses for this technology include park assessments, mapping food environments, and aiding during disaster recovery efforts when other methods of communication are disabled. For project evaluations, smartphones could be used as digital survey forms, with respondents entering data with their phones instead of filling out a form.

Anyone can view the photos submitted or upload your own at www.extension.iastate.edu/mainstreet.

The Main Street Engaging ISU web portal allows users to view photos, add their own, or download the iPhone app from the iPhone apps store.

1) Spencer, Clay Co.: A survey by ISUEO CD-DIAL was part of the planning process that resulted in a new middle school. 2) Sioux City, Woodbury Co.: ISU design students designed several bus shelters in Sioux City. 3) West Okoboji, Dickinson Co.: New entrance signs were some of the improvements spurred by the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program.

4) Community development specialists Himar Hernández and Karen Lathrop help fairgoers view the photo gallery during the state fair. 5) Dubuque, Dubuque Co.: Cindy Baumgartner, extension field specialist, teachers local food service providers how to use a bimetallic stemmed thermometer during a “Serve Safe” class. 6) Audubon, Audubon Co.: In association with the PE4Life program, Audubon Co. Extension and Outreach hosted a wellness walk to kick off the 2011 county fair. 7) Glenwood, Mills Co.: Mills County Master Gardeners pose with the produce harvested from Glenwood's Giving Garden.

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Design Students Contribute to a Progressive Approach to RehabilitationBy Susan Erickson, Program Coordinator, Partnering Landscape and Community Enhancement (PLaCE) Program

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) and the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women (ICIW) made history this spring when they worked together on a landscape and site design for the prison. The goal of this first-ever collaboration between the two institutions is to create an environment that could assist in rehabilitation and subsequently reduce recidivism rates.

The ICIW is in the midst of a $68 million expansion and modernization project to be completed in late 2013, in which the crowded, antiquated facility will be renovated with state-of-the-art resources designed to encourage reform and assist those re-entering society. Architects from STV in New York City, along with Design Alliance from Waukee, designed new buildings with features that would encourage rehabilitation of offenders. The Department of Corrections contacted ISU for assistance in considering how landscape and site design might also contribute to the reform effort.

The project was done through the Partnering Landscape and Community Enhancement (PLaCE) program in the ISU College of Design's Institute for Design

Research and Outreach (IDRO). Susan Erickson, PLaCE program coordinator, facilitated the connection between ICIW officials and the ISU Landscape Architecture Program. Erickson met with landscape architecture faculty to explore ways the department might engage with ICIW to meet their needs through classroom activities.

In response, faculty created a seminar titled A Landscape Within: Design for Plants and Prison, taught by Lecturer Julie Stevens.

Stevens said the prison project gave the upper-level students “a means to understand some of the deeper psychological issues associated with landscapes.” Students spent the early part of the semester reading first-person accounts by women prisoners, visiting the facility and expansion site, and conducting focus groups. They also researched issues

related to prison design, such as social and behavioral theory, therapeutic gardens, recidivism and surveillance.

“In the class, we've looked at how natural environments have rehabilitative effects,” Stevens said. “Common prison landscapes are void of trees and nature, but we're trying to make a case that nature actually has a calming or positive effect that would be beneficial.” Potential benefits range from smoothing the transition back to society and developing garden- and landscape-related job skills for the offenders to reducing costs to society, as prison officials hope to see recidivism rates decline.

Prison officials were pleased with the class results. Tim Darr, ICIW captain and transition team leader, appreciated the students’ “can-do attitude.”

“They constantly looked for ways to make it all work. On their second visit, they returned with design changes to accommodate our security needs,” Darr said. "It just floored me how well the students listened and grasped what we needed.”

Warden Patti Wachtendorf said the project results “completely exceeded my expectations” and invited the nine students to visit after they graduate and see how the project turns out. “I like the passion that I see in all of you, and I appreciate that,” she told the students.

ISUEO CED’s role in this project is ongoing. Erickson continues to meet with prison officials and cooperating ISU faculty members Julie Stevens and Heidi Hohmann, associate professor of landscape architecture. A second project is scheduled for spring semester 2012, when Stevens will explore further site development with a new class of students.

Students work with Susan Erickson, PLaCE program coordinator, on site design for ICIW.

The prison grounds in Mitchellville are virtually devoid of landscaping.

The students incorporated into their design green spaces to create a calm atmosphere that also provides opportunities for improving inmates' job skills.


Did You Know?Design Students Contribute to a Progressive Approach to Rehabilitation

By Sandra Oberbroeckling Community Relations Specialist

“It’s the economy, stupid.” We’ve heard it before. Since the United States slipped into recession in late 2007, the economy has been the hot topic in every city, town and burg in the country. Whether they have populations of 1,000,000 or 100, cities and towns have been affected by the economic downturn and are looking for ways to stay above water.

Sustainable economic development requires change, and change requires strong leadership, something that is often hard to find in rural Iowa communities. The smaller the community, the smaller the pool from which to draw good leaders. In many small towns, the same people volunteer over and over again, and over time they burn out.

The eastern Iowa community of West Liberty, population 3,736, is ahead of the curve in terms of small-town leadership development, thanks to a collaborative effort involving West Liberty Economic Area Development (WE-LEAD), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO), Leadership Muscatine and Muscatine Community College.

Leadership West Liberty is a nine-month program tailored for small towns that teaches basic leadership skills. WE-LEAD worked with Leadership Muscatine and Muscatine Community College to develop the curriculum and the training methodology.

Since the program started in 2007, 29 leaders have graduated. The average class size per year is seven students, providing opportunities for small-group networking and individualized attention. Students are nominated by peers, employers or alumni of the program. The composition of the classes varies from year to year and has included corporate-sponsored employees, entrepreneurs, stay-at-home moms and nonprofit volunteers.

Leadership West Liberty covers topics such as running for elected office, serving

on a board, understanding different personality types, conducting effective meetings and implementing projects. Participants learn leadership skills that can be put to use immediately in their personal and professional lives. The capstone of the program is the student project. Each student identifies a project that embodies their own values while benefitting the community of West Liberty.

“In the beginning of the program we focus a lot on self-awareness and personal passion,” said Karen Lathrop, WE-LEAD executive director and ISUEO community development specialist. “We conduct the Myers Briggs Inventory and the Franklin Covey FOCUS: Achieving Your Highest Priorities personal productivity course and we identify our personality types, our strengths, weaknesses and our core values.”

“Having a clear understanding of your core values and how you want to spend your time helps the students to determine what projects most align with their core values,” she added.

Students can work individually or collaboratively on existing or new projects. They are encouraged to look for ways to build on the community’s assets to develop sustainable enhancements. Past projects include creating and sustaining a downtown farmers market, now in its third year, organizing volunteer workers for the film festival and involvement with the schools on various projects.

“In the four years of this program my observation [has been] that people who align their project with their values or a

higher purpose have a far greater chance of sustaining the project and the tenacity to see it through the ups and downs of community projects,” Lathrop said.

According to Lathrop, the approximate value of the Leadership West Liberty program is $1,000 per participant. However, participants only pay $200, because WE-LEAD secured a grant from the Edward and Joseph Ryan Memorial Trust Fund. This local community trust fund underwrites the program and furnishes two partial scholarships for those unable to pay the full amount, making it affordable for all students.

West Liberty has kept this program sustainable through tuition and donations, as well as by drawing on the expertise of local volunteer speakers and by encouraging local businesses to host sessions. Employers are pleased with the program and see it as an excellent way to retain employees and to develop stronger leaders to benefit their business.

“Many of our graduates have gone on to serve on local nonprofit boards of directors or run for elected office,” said Lathrop. “We have a good success rate of people who have completed the program and remain engaged in the community events, assist with projects and volunteer for things that align with their passion.”

The success of Leadership West Liberty is reflected in the comments by program graduates.

“Leadership West Liberty has helped me grow personally and professionally in ways I could not have imagined.”

“Now that two of us from our workplace have been through this program, we have been able to communicate more effectively and have a common understanding of what we want to achieve.”

Small communities interested in establishing their own leadership program can contact Karen Lathrop at 319-325-5465 or [email protected] for more information.

Leadership West Liberty Offers Training Model for Small Towns

The 2011 Leadership West Liberty class discusses project management strategies.


In the basement, all of the ductwork was sealed and insulated. According to Anderson, the contractors were skeptical about the value of doing this extra work, but since attending the COSC workshops and then seeing the results of the energy audit of the house, they have become converts.

“It was compelling to them that only two degrees of heat was lost from the furnace to the furthest duct,” Anderson said. “The furnace is high efficiency, the smallest unit available on the market.”

The finished house is close to the students’ original design, but some modifications were made. The most significant change was the design of the north side of the house. The students designed the roof to wrap down around the north wall and serve as the siding for additional protection from the elements.

However, their design did not include an overhang or gutter on the roof, which would have required building a custom concrete gutter system. The contractors did not want to construct such as system,


Rarely does a new home enter the housing market with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by cake and refreshments.

However, the house at 1103 Adams Street in Corning is no ordinary house. It is the highly anticipated “Iowa House” that began in an Iowa State University College of Design studio in spring 2010. The course was the award-winning Bridge Studio, taught by Nadia Anderson, ISU Extension architect and assistant professor of architecture.

The goal of the Iowa House, which was officially unveiled on July 22, was to develop a prototype for affordable, energy-efficient homes. An energy audit of the house showed an efficiency rating of 92 percent; to pass an energy audit, a house must rate at least 90 percent.

In conjunction with the construction of the Iowa House, the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) conducted a 10-module workshop series on affordable green building for professionals.

Several strategies were employed in the design and construction of the house to meet efficiency goals. According to Anderson, one important feature of the house is the construction of the south side. Most of the windows are located on the south side, and the overhang of the eaves was designed to keep the sun out during the summer but allow the winter sun to penetrate, reducing the cost of climate control year-round.

Inside the house, the open floor plan and large windows in the main living area create the sense of a larger space.

ISU Students' Vision of Sustainable Housing Has Become a Reality

Corning Mayor Guy Brace cuts the ribbon during the open house introducing the public to the Iowa House.

The open floor plan of the main living area and the large windows create the perception of a larger house.

This image is the prototype of the Bridge Studio students' design.


Most of the house's windows are located on the south side. The eaves are designed to keep the sun out during the summer while allowing the sun to penetrate during the winter.

The large,wraparound deck creates additional seasonal space.

All of the ductwork in the Iowa House has been sealed and insulated.

which would have increased costs and required a high level of quality control to ensure proper construction.

Anderson is satisfied with the completed project. “Overall, the whole thing came out very well,” she said. “At the end of the day, the people in Corning continue to be excited about it. It is a very important thing that they have maintained momentum.”

The project was financed with funds from a Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant, the remainder of which was used to demolish one property and rehabilitate

two others. The Iowa House is valued at $130,000 and will be sold to a household that is at or below 120 percent of area median income. Money from the sale will be reinvested by the City of Corning to address additional housing needs.

Anderson said that compared to five years ago, people recognize that sustainability design strategies are important.

But the story doesn’t end here. The Adams County Commission on Sustainability is building a second, modified version of the Iowa House in the town of Prescott.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests toured the house and learned about the energy-efficient and sustainable features both inside and out.

The Southwest Iowa Coalition (SWICO) has also taken an interest in the project, and SWICO representatives attended the luncheon following the grand opening. Representatives of several communities in the SWICO region also attended.

Meanwhile, the Bridge Studio story is starting a new chapter. The next step for Anderson is to move the students from the single-house design process to the next level. “We pretty much have that process down,” she said. “I want to work on a neighborhood scale.” The next Bridge Studio will be working in Cedar Rapids on the Ellis Boulevard Urban Village, which is located in a neighborhood that was flooded in 2008.

The class will work on housing but also on infrastructure projects. Anderson envisions several ongoing projects at several scales over the next couple of years. “I want to go back to the logic of the prototypes [modular homes] designed for Cedar Rapids,” she said, referring to a previous Bridge Studio in which students designed affordable modular housing for Cedar Rapids neighborhoods affected by the 2008 flood.

Communities interested in working with the Bridge Studio may contact Nadia Anderson at 515-294-0339 or [email protected].

More information on the resources available from COSC is available at http://icosc.com/.


project. Some of the data came from available secondary sources such as public documents, program reports, plans, maps, budgets, websites and other previously published materials.

Economic statistics were gathered from the US Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail trade reports and tax receipts. Other statistical data were generated by developing an input-output model to analyze data and estimate the impacts based on formulae that aid in predicting how an economic change will affect a specific geographic area over a set period of time.

Data on the number of housing units lost were generated using geographic information (GIS) systems mapping.

The research team gathered primary source data from focus groups, one-on-one interviews with people who had specific knowledge of housing issues in their communities, and an online survey.

ISUEO has published a synopsis that summarizes the results of the study. Six major issues emerged:

1. Economic impact analysis reveals that the recession has had a greater economic impact on the study communities than the 2008 floods.

2. Only four of the eight study communities have a statistical need for more housing.

3. Municipal and nonprofit capacity in case management and outreach services

Research Spotlight

Study Shows Impact of 2008 Floods on Different Communities' Housing Needs By Sandra Oberbroeckling, Community Relations Specialist

Whether you believe in climate change or not, there's no denying that the weather in Iowa has gotten more severe during the past few years. And severe weather often results in housing loss. Such was the case in 2008, when the Iowa and Cedar Rivers flooded, affecting dozens of eastern Iowa communities.

In light of the 2008 floods and other recent natural disasters, the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED), the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) and the Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) engaged Iowa State University and ISU Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) Community and Economic Development (CED) to undertake a study of eight communities heavily impacted by the 2008 floods.

The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of how recovery program implementation differed by the size and type of community and to identify the unique challenges these communities encountered in their recent experiences with housing loss caused by natural disaster. The project sponsors hoped to answer two primary questions:

1. How can the negative economic impacts attributable to the 2008 floods be separated from the negative economic impacts of the recession?

2. What gaps remain in the housing markets of the flood-impacted communities that have not been satisfied by the private housing market?

IDED, IFA and RIO selected the following communities: Cedar Rapids, Charles City, Columbus Junction, Coralville, Iowa City, Mason City, Waverly and Waterloo. The populations of the study cities ranged from 2,136 in Columbus Junction to 125,951 in Cedar Rapids.

The ISU research team structured the study as a mixed-method research

is needed for recovery programs to operate effectively.

4. Disaster recovery programs can be created before a natural disaster and legislatively funded when a disaster response is needed.

5. Accurate and accessible data are needed for local decision making and long-term planning.

6. The housing market gap should be evaluated by units lost and by the difference in the value of replacement housing.

A full report will be published that explores in far greater depth the issues identified in the synopsis.

The different research methods will be summarized in the full report in four parts, including an economic analysis of each study community; qualitative analysis of the focus groups, interviews, and online survey; a review of archival documentation for each community; and a geospatial analysis of the housing data. Individual reports for each community will also be published.

For a copy of the study synopsis, contact Sandra Oberbroeckling at 515-294-3721 or [email protected].

Study Area


Study Shows Impact of 2008 Floods on Different Communities' Housing Needs

Founding Father of MPI and MPA Honored at 2011 SessionBy Cindy Kendall, Extension Program Specialist, Office of State and Local Government Programs

More than 260 people attended the 2011 Municipal Professionals Institute (MPI) and Academy (MPA) held July 18–29. This session marked the end of an era, as it was the last one under the direction of its founding fathers. Paul Coates, director of the Office of State and Local Government Programs (OSLGP) in Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) and professor of community and regional planning, was one of the originators of the program more than 36 years ago.

The new director of the institute and academy will be Cindy Kendall, extension program specialist with ISUEO and the Iowa League of Cities.

MPI is conducted in Ames each July to educate city staff in Iowa in every aspect of clerk and finance offices. Participants gain a strong educational foundation through 120 hours of course work covering topics such as working with public officials and citizens, city financial systems, personnel and public speaking. Specialized areas are offered on topics such as open records/meetings, budgets, audits and other legal and compliance issues confronting these offices.

MPA is a two-day session that addresses current topics and issues to continue the professional growth of these public

Left: Paul Coates, OSLGP director and professor of community and regional planning, is recognized for his service. Right: Teresa Rotschafer, Johnson finance director, presents the elements of a city financial system.

employees. Topics are offered that are applicable and practical to Iowa governance. For example, in the session titled “911 for the City Clerk’s Office,” speakers shared their communities’ experiences coping with tornados, floods, shootings and other emergencies. From the participant reaction to that session and other resources, an emergency toolkit is being created.

A new feature offered from OSLGP this year is the availability of handouts from two very popular sessions, Best Practices (MPI) and Service Contracts (MPA) conducted by Patrick Callahan on www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/oslgp/home.html. In each of these sessions participants contributed information from their community to be shared in this electronic format.

OSLGP also partners with the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) and the

Iowa Municipal Finance Officers Association (IMFOA), which offer certification programs for city clerks and finance directors. MPI and MPA coursework is pre-approved credit toward these certification programs. OSLGP also has partnerships with the Iowa League of Cities and University of Iowa in a program called Municipal Leadership Academy (MLA), which presents training after each municipal election for newly elected or re-elected officials. This four-part program will begins soon after the 2011 elections with a blend of in-person sessions across the state and online sessions, culminating at the Iowa League of Cities annual conference in September 2012.

The dates for next year's Municipal Professionals Institute and Academy are July 16–20 and 23–25, 2012, respectively. For information visit www.iowaleague.org.


Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) Community and Economic Development (CED) has started a trend in southeast Iowa aimed at enhancing economic development and quality of life by partnering with Iowa communities. To date, these partnerships have yielded three extension program specialist positions.

The most recent ISUEO CED collaboration is with the Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce to hire an executive director/community development specialist for the chamber. The Keokuk Area Chamber will fund 75 percent of this shared position, while ISU will contribute the remaining 25 percent.

ISU and Keokuk Join Forces to Enhance Area Economic DevelopmentThe new executive director of the Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce will offer the best of both worlds to Keokuk and the surrounding area: economic development expertise at the local level plus access to the resources of ISUEO.

“We see this as a unique combination where the employee can attend university training and have access to all of our information, while at the same time do day-to-day work,” said Tim Borich, ISUEO CED program director and associate dean for outreach in the ISU College of Design.

This partnership is based on a small-town economic development model piloted in West Liberty. The City of West Liberty and ISUEO created West Liberty Economic

Area Development (WE-LEAD), along with a joint position serving as WE-LEAD executive director and extension community development specialist. ISUEO also shares a joint position specializing in sustainability with the City of Fairfield.

“I know our area will benefit from this,” said April Girard, chamber board president. “We’ll have more access to resources [and] be better able to improve the local economy/economic development. [The position] will complement already existing services.”

Candidates are being interviewed and a final selection made in October.


Program Integrates Education and BeautificationBy Susan Fey, Program Coordinator ISU Design West

Aspiring artists and designers have the opportunity to practice their craft while beautifying Downtown Sioux City through a collaborative effort of Iowa State University Design West and the Sioux City Downtown Partners. The new Student in Residence program invites students from the ISU College of Design to spend the summer in Sioux City to work on a community art and design project with the purpose of beautifying the downtown area.

The inaugural project, a community-themed window mural, was completed in August and is located near the Promenade Theater on historic Fourth Street. The artist is Art Vongphakdy, a graduate of North High School in Sioux City and a senior in integrated studio arts at ISU.

He found this experience very beneficial. "Everything I've learned is from growing up in this city so it's kind of a way to give

ISU Student Art Vonghakdy draws the outlines for a mural depicting his representation of Sioux City. Photo by Megan Meyer, Photography by Meyer.

back and represent where I am from," Vongphakdy said.

“The Integrated Studio Arts program at ISU is great. It has introduced me to a wide variety of disciplines, some of which I have never experienced prior, and now use every day in my artistic endeavors. It has given me more tools and techniques for greater creative expression,” he said.

The Student in Residence program is funded jointly, with ISU paying the student and the Downtown Partners purchasing project materials. Because Vongphakdy is from Sioux City, housing costs were not an issue. However, Design West and the Downtown Partners are seeking grant funds to cover these expenses if needed.

Future beautification projects, including more murals and streetscape improvements, have been identified for the program.

More information about ISU Design West is available at www.design.iastate.edu/ISUDesignWest/.

By Michelle Temeyer, Community Education Liaison, ISU Extension and Outreach–Black Hawk County

Foreign-born residents living in the United States face special challenges particular to immigrants living in a new country. Many adult immigrants do not learn to speak English proficiently enough to effectively communicate while living in the US and others often experience misunderstandings arising from differences in cultural norms and expectations.

In September, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) in Waterloo, the YWCA of Black Hawk County and Tyson have launched an adult educational series called EXITO (Spanish for “success”). EXITO empowers Spanish-speaking residents living in the US to overcome barriers with a basic understanding of how to navigate daily life in the US, an understanding of basic rights as well as responsibilities, and tools to access locally available sources of information on each of these topics: immigration, legal system, finance, public assistance, health care, education, housing, transportation, employment/workforce and taxes.

Tyson Fresh Meats is offering weekly sessions for its employees. The YWCA is offering the same weekly sessions to interested Spanish-speaking persons and their families at the YWCA, 425 Lafayette Street, in Waterloo. Community leaders with expertise in each of the content areas will be available to provide further information and answer participant questions. EXITO is a 10-session series led by a Spanish-speaking facilitator, utilizing EXITO’s educational DVDs on the previously noted topics. Each session is approximately 20 minutes plus time for discussion and question and answers.

According to Himar Hernández, ISUEO community development specialist, “This series has helped Spanish-speakers prepare to succeed in the US, with reliable, accessible and effective information. In many cases, participants gain a sense of confidence and have assumed leadership roles within in their communities.”

The EXITO series was created by the non-profit Experience Education, in collaboration with the Southwest Iowa

Educational Series Helps Spanish-speaking Residents Adjust to Life in USLatino Resource Center and ISUEO. The EXITO DVD series is in Spanish and was filmed entirely in Iowa.


Clear LakeNovember 30, 2011Best Western Holiday Inn Lodge2023 7th Avenue North

Storm LakeNovember 29, 2011King’s Pointe1520 E Lakeshore Drive

CrestonDecember 6, 2011Southwestern Community College1501 W Townline Street

WaverlyNovember 15, 2011Centennial Oaks19 Eagle Ridge Drive

JohnstonDecember 7, 2011Hilton Garden Inn8600 Northpark Drive

Iowa CityNovember 16, 2011Clarion Hotel2525 North Dodge Street

Registration Open for ISU Extension and League of Cities 2011 Budget WorkshopsBy Sandra Oberbroeckling Community Relations Specialist

When most of us think of fall, we think of back to school, football season, picking apples and Halloween. However, if you are a city administrator, clerk or finance officer, your thoughts are likely to turn to next fiscal year's city budget.

For that reason, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) Office of State and Local Government Programs (OSLGP) and the Iowa League of Cities are holding budget workshops at six locations throughout the state in November and December.

The workshops consist of a 30-minute presentation on budget projects for the upcoming fiscal year, a session on state requirements and changes affecting the budget process, and concurrent sessions for beginning and advanced budgeting. The beginners session provides step-by-step instructions on preparing a city budget using a budget form.

The 2011 advanced session, titled “Long-term Planning and Fund Balance Policies,”

teaches strategies for successful long-term financial planning, including ways to manage future project expenses and budgets.

A total of 620 clerks and finance officers attended the 2010 workshops and more than half completed an evaluation of the workshops. Of those, 99 percent found the workshops useful or very useful in preparing them for budget responsibilities, and many participants made positive comments:

“Great training...thank you! Interesting and engaging speakers I really don't have time away from work. I appreciate bringing ‘something great’ home!”

“Speakers were all excellent—very knowledgeable and very personable.”

“Good information for beginners.”

For those seeking certification hours for the Iowa Municipal Finance Officers Association (IMFOA) certification program, attendance of a budget workshop counts toward 3.5 hours of the specialized track of Clerk or Finance Officer.

Online registration opened on October 1 and is available at www.iowaleague.org.

2011 Workshop Locations

By Mark Edelman Director, Community Vitality Center

The Community Vitality Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) Community and Economic Development (CED) are partnering with the US Small Business Administration, USDA Rural Development and other sponsors to host a Rural YES (Young Entrepreneur Summit) on November 9. The summit will be held at the Scheman Building in the Iowa State Center in Ames from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

The event is free to participating or prospective entrepreneurs. Small Business Administration Deputy Secretary Marie Johns and USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Doug O’Brien will share their perspectives and success stories from around the country. Governor Terry Branstad and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey have been invited.

The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for young and emerging

entrepreneurs to 1) hear success stories from other rural entrepreneurs, 2) listen to and share ideas for improving entrepreneurial development opportunities in rural America, and 3) make contact with other rural entrepreneurs and support networks.

There will be a free networking reception and trade show featuring local Iowa foods.

Rural YES recognizes outstanding young entrepreneurs and shares their success stories from across rural America to inspire others to participate creating a rural entrepreneurial cultural that provides greater opportunity for successful enterprise development and support in the future.

CVC has put out a request for success stories of young rural entrepreneurs from rural Iowa to recognize during Rural YES. Those interested in nominating someone for recognition at this event can contact CVC Director Mark Edelman at [email protected].

Summit at ISU Says 'YES' to Rural Entrepreneurs

The Annual Financial Report training videos have been updated for the 2011 finance report. All cities are required to file this report, publish or post a summary and submit two paper copies to the State Auditor’s Office by December 1. League members can access the videos at www.iowaleague.org in the Finance section of Member Resources. The videos are divided into different segments for efficient viewing. The State Auditor’s Office provides these resources and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting the 2011 videos on its website.

Finance Report Videos Available

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