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ALGONA — Nearly 100 area CEOs, interns and business people
gathered at St. Micheal’s Parish Hall in Whittemore early
Thursday, Aug. 9, to partake in food and fundraising for the Kossuth
and Palo Alto County Economic Development Corporation.
It’s the first year for the collaboration of the two economic
development groups with KCEDC having 10 years of experience to bring
to the table while PACEDC brings a casino and a proposed cellulosic
ethanol plant to be built next year — the first ever to be
built.
“It’s been an exciting year and a learning year,”
stated KPACEDC Executive Director Maureen Elbert. “The collaboration
has been very successful.”
In 2006, KCEDC has worked with Snap-on, Global Ethanol, Hydrogen
Engine Center, Pharmacists Mutual, East Fork Biodiesel, Harvest
Biofuels and Prairie Creek Ethanol. Additionally, the organization
has helped PACEDC as it has developed an interim board of directors,
held an informational meeting for elected officials and city clerks
in Palo Alto and updated the Palo Alto County labor shed analysis.
“The two boards share belief in community involvement. If
we share resources and invoke the spirit of cooperation, it will
benefit people in both counties,” stated Tom Larson, KCEDC
president.
The keynote speaker was Tom Morain from Graceland University in
Lamoni. He was born and raised in Jefferson and served as the director
of History at the Living History Farms for 13 years.
“Iowans tend to be Iowans wherever we go,” stated Morain.
His speech was full of humorous pokes at what it means to be an
Iowan with an underlying message that Iowans have made an important
impact on the world.
KCEDC also held its drawing for a Snap-on toolbox. Scott Marienau,
plant manager for the Algona Snap-on factory, drew Paul Gronbach’s
name for the purple tool box.
Photos of the County Wide Breakfast
held August 9, 2007:
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Stuart Simonson,
KCEDC Past President |
Tom Larson,
KCEDC President |
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Kris Ausborn,
PACEDC President |
Tom Morain, Guest Speaker, Graceland
University |
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Kris Ausborn,
Tom Morain
and Tom Larson |
Scott Marienau,
Snap-On Tools, General Plant Manager |
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