Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation
Open House/Business After Hours is Tuesday, April 24! http://ow.ly/apU0F
The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is the regional economic development agency for Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet Counties.
ABOUT THE CORRIDOR
The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (formerly the Great Lakes Corridor of Opportunity) was organized in 1992 to foster encourage, promote, assist or otherwise aid economic growth and development in the Iowa counties of Clay and Dickinson. In late 2005, Emmet County became a part of the region and in January 2006, Buena Vista County joined the region.
The Corridor was recently featured in IAbiz Magazine as a Community Focus. You can read the article here: Iowa Lakes Corridor Community Focus. Our 2010-2011 Annual Report won third place at the Mid-America Economic Development Council Competitiveness Conference. The 2010-2011 Annual Report can be read here: 2010-2011 Annual Report
The organization is a 501(c)6, non-profit organization in the State of Iowa. The Iowa Lakes Corridor is governed by a 12-member board of directors who set policy and direction for the organization. The board of directors is responsible for the hire of the President and CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor. The Corridor currently receives funding from the public and private sector. The total annual budget is approximately $600,000. The Iowa Lakes Corridor has three full-time and three part-time, professional staff members with a central office located on the Iowa Lakes Community College campus in Spencer.
The Iowa Lakes Corridor Board of Directors consists of three representatives of each of the four counties in the region, including Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. Board members serve three-year terms and are elected by the membership through a nominating committee each year. Iowa Lakes Corridor board members must be a representative of a member/investor organization.
Officers include a chair, vice chair and treasurer. Officers are elected by the Iowa Lakes Corridor Board of Directors. The chair serves a two-year term.
The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is a certified provider agency for the Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac® program. The FastTrac® program is a practical, hands-on business development program designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to creat, manage and grow successful businesses.
FastTrac® participants don’t just learn about the business, they live it. They work on their own business ideas or ventures throughout the program – moving their ventures to reality or to new levels of growth. FastTrac® programs were created by entrepreneurs and are facilitated by entrepreneurs.