De Groot Named Chamber Director

Deann De Groot (submitted photo)

Deann De Groot, who has been serving as the Interim Mahaska Chamber & Development Director for the past few weeks, officially became the permanent Chamber Director on April 1st.  De Groot will be responsible for leading the Chamber’s efforts in economic development, workforce, housing, and tourism/quality of life.

“We are very excited to have Deann become our Chamber Director. She has been a part of the Chamber staff for 9 years, so she is a known commodity and already has a lot of connections in the Mahaska County area. We are confident that with Deann’s leadership she will be able to take our organization and community to the next level,” stated James Feudner, Mahaska Chamber & Development Board President.

De Groot started at the Oskaloosa Area Chamber in 2011, after returning from Ames where she was the intern at the Ames Chamber of Commerce. She has been the Office Manager, as well as the Mahaska County Agricultural & Rural Development Director. She will continue to lead efforts in Mahaska County through business development, county-wide tourism, and workforce initiatives.

De Groot is from Oskaloosa and graduated from Pella Christian High School. After high school, she attended Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa and received her Associate of Arts degree. She then continued her education at Iowa State University graduating with a degree in Business Marketing. Deann is married to Layton and they have 3 children, Raegan, Jayde and Logan. Deann has previously served on the Mahaska County Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Board and is involved with church activities. Deann enjoys spending time with family and friends, cleaning, and working on projects around the house.