|
|
Young leaders ready to tackle issues
Reporter: John Kenyon
johnk@corridorbiznews.com
After years of asking how their age affected them professionally and hearing that it rarely did, we decided to ask a different question of our 2009 Forty Under 40 class: What is the biggest issue facing the Corridor and the state?
The question drew many thoughtful, passionate responses that show these young leaders had spent some time thinking about this long before we came along to pose it. While flood recovery was understandably high on the list, mentioned by about one-fourth of the honorees, several other issues were raised as well.
More about that later. The key is to realize that these 40 people are among those best positioned to address these problems. As has been the case since these awards were inaugurated in 2005, this year’s class is composed of impressive individuals from various geographic locations and business sectors.
Linn County dominated things this year, with 23 of the 40 calling it home. Johnson County was next with 15, while two hail from Washington County. There are 21 women and 19 men in the class. Twenty-four work in the private sector, 11 for nonprofits and five for the public sector.
That variety is to be expected. The only criterion stated on the Forty Under 40 application is that these be “men and women who have made a significant impact in their business or community early in their careers.”
Readers found more than 100 young professionals to be worthy of consideration, a record number that makes this year’s class the most competitive yet. The group of 40 was selected by a panel made up of representatives from the 2008 class.
Despite their differences, many of this year’s honorees are like-minded when it comes to identifying the challenges faced by the Corridor and the state. The most-cited issue was the recruitment and retention of a talented workforce, coupled with the need to provide jobs for those people.
Several responded with some variation on the “recruit and retain young professionals” theme, but most who did also offered more specific solutions.
“Understanding and preserving the niche that we occupy as a safe, friendly, hard-working community while trying to attract new business and a world-class workforce,” wrote one.
Some expanded on that, identifying quality-of-life issues.
“Invest in park and recreational activities, art and cultural attractions, and bold projects that make our state and specifically the Corridor a destination,” wrote an honoree. “It will help retain our skilled workforce, help bring new businesses to the area and hopefully new people to our area to share in all the wonderful assets our state and the Corridor have to offer.”
Sustainability and infrastructure improvements also were mentioned.
Support for entrepreneurs and growing businesses also was cited as an issue.
“We continue to lack the capital and support networks to turn innovative ideas into tangible companies,” wrote one. “Those entrepreneurs who succeed at this locally do so in spite of the culture, not because of it.”
Related issues ranged from wanting to see more done to keep technology companies in the area to suggesting that more be done to bring direct flights to The Eastern Iowa Airport.
Regionalism was another issue cited by several of the honorees. Some saw it as a challenge, writing that it was important to maintain individual community identities while making the region work better as a whole.
Others saw the area’s socio-economic diversity as something that will affect those efforts.
Others challenged the two ends of the Corridor to collaborate more effectively. One wrote that there is not enough cohesiveness between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, citing the need for more boundary-crossing events.
“Creating a region that is one of the best in the country in terms of recruiting and retaining top talent and a high quality-of-life” is the issue, wrote another. “It’s really about finding our niche and brand and then acting on our results.”
This year’s honorees seem ready to tackle these and other problems. Most see it as their responsibility. Chris Skogman, president of Skogman Realty, said that is a notion instilled in him by his family.
“In my family, my grandfather, uncles and father have told me, ‘We have a responsibility to the cities we do business in. We have to be a good corporate citizen,” Mr. Skogman said. “It’s part of our family culture and when it’s something you enjoy doing you’re going to find the time to keep doing it.”
Shannon Meyer, president and CEO of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, said her job makes her uniquely positioned to join professional and personal pursuits when it comes to helping the community.
“I really want to make a difference in the community,” she said. “So many of the things I would want to do as a volunteer, I get to try to make happen as a part of my job.” CBJ
 Send To Friend
|
|
|
|