Hello, this is Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Leading up to the holiday season, I’m sure most of us were busy finding that perfect gift. Many consumer’s buying habits include purchasing from online retailers and taking advantage of Cyber-Monday and other web-based deals. However, if you...
Hello, this is Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. We recently hit an exciting milestone anniversary – IASourceLink has turned five! When the program was first launched late in 2012, we could only anticipate what this small business resource might provide to business owners, resource providers and...
Hello, I’m Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. It’s no secret that Iowa needs more skilled workers. A 2014 report on Iowa education and workforce trends through 2025 finds that 68 percent of all Iowa jobs are expected to require post-secondary education and training beyond high school. ...
Hello, I’m Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. As I travel the state, one thing I commonly hear in every community is the need for affordable housing to accommodate the workers our companies are employing. That’s why three years ago the Iowa Legislature established the Workforce Housing...
Hello, I’m Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. We can’t turn back the hands of time. Age affects everyone and everything differently. As humans, some of us try to offset tell-tale signs of ‘experienced maturity’ with everything from serums to surgery. With buildings, on the other hand,...
Hello, I’m Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Many of you are familiar with Iowa’s Targeted Small Business program or TSB as it’s commonly called. It was created by the legislature in the mid-1980’s to provide access to procurement opportunities and financial resources for businesses owned by women,...
Congratulations on making it through another Iowa winter! The calendar says that spring has sprung, and just like we’ll soon see daffodils and tulips growing, the season also brings with it another opportunity for growth – the Iowa SMART Conference. Now in its 31st year, the SMART conference is Iowa’s largest...
Listen to this month's "From the Desk" podcast. We’ve reached the end of yet another year, and as 2015 draws to a close it’s a good time to reflect on some of the many notable activities that have benefited Iowa economically over the past year. From new business starts and community...
Listen to this month's "From the Desk" podcast. Hello, this is Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Have you ever stopped to consider the origins of the items we use every day. From the alarm clock you love to hate in the morning, to the last lamp you turn...
Governor Branstad will join Bill Fehrman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy Co. and Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress (IPEP) board member, and Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), on Thursday, December 18 to release the Battelle Memorial Institute’s recommendations for Iowa. A news conference will...
