The Future Of Mahaska County And Oskaloosa Focus Of Chamber Group
An aerial view of Oskaloosa, Iowa taken October of 2014.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – What does the future of Mahaska County look like?
That is a question that is impossible to answer, but individuals with Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group hope to have a hand in sculpting.
The Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group [OACDG] has gone through some transformation the past two years with the retirement of long-time leader Jon Sullivan.
Sullivan wore many hats during his time at OACDG. Chamber Director, Main Street Director and MCDG lead. The amount of work needed to facilitate all of those positions became the area of discussion, as the board that oversees OACDG began its job of selecting new leadership to help lead Oskaloosa and Mahaska County into the future.
Under that OACDG banner is four main branches that most people will recognize. The Oskaloosa Chamber is now lead by Valinn McReynolds. MCDG is lead by Andrew Jensen. The Oskaloosa Main Street Director is Karen Hafner with Deann De Groot leading the way in Mahaska County Area Rural Development.
These four independent branches each serve vital roles in the development of the county and its economy and vitality.
Andrew Jensen, Executive Director of Mahaska Community Development Group [MCDG] says that all four organizations are currently working through a strategic planning process that helps establish the identities and priorities for each organization.
One of the new developments Jensen said is currently underway is called Mahaska Development Partners. This group would include leadership from the boards from the four independent groups located within the OACDG umbrella. “They are trying to look at big issues for the community,” says Jensen. This group is also working to hammer out the different responsibilities of the different organizations such as tourism or housing issues withing the county.
MCDG is the economic development arm of the overall OACDG organization. Within the scope, one of their main focuses at this point is development and coordination of economic efforts. This means Jensen is working with all other area organizations to make sure the needed pieces are in place and available to enable business and industry within the Mahaska County area to enable growth.
Another task Jensen takes on is working with, and staying informed on, projects like the Highway 63 by-pass and how a potential pipeline project can serve Mahaska County with job and economic growth beyond the construction phase.
Business recruitment and attraction are also an important aspect of Jensens focus. It’s a traditional economic development process familiar to many. “I’ve been meeting with manufacturers across the county,” says Jensen. “We have a lot of exciting expansion projects that are going on right now,” says Jensen.
MCDG is comprised of a membership from fifteen of the larger businesses within Mahaska County, and is funded by those organizations. “That group has really sought to pull together like-minded businesses that want to pursue pro-business growth,” says Jensen.
Valinn McReynolds now leads up the Oskaloosa Chamber, a position that went unfilled for nearly a year.
The position has been filled with challenges for the new executive director. Valinn hopes to continue the relationship building with area business owners into the foreseeable future. “I’m pretty much having coffee with everyone in Oskaloosa,” says McReynolds with a smile. “I really need to build that relationship with everyone.”
The Oskaloosa Chamber represents businesses from Eddyville to New Sharon, Leighton and beyond the county borders. The Chamber does overlap with the other portions of the OACDG model, as do the other 3 branches of the group. Those moments where everyone gets to collaborate on projects that benefit the Mahaska Community and Oskaloosa “we need to be working together”, says Valinn.
To learn more about the OACDG and how it can be a benefit for you, your business or industry, visit them at http://www.oacdg.org/
