Keith Sash, Development Commission chair, headed up the four-member search subcommittee after receiving applications from surrounding counties and the states of Connecticut, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Washington.

Sash said “Kellogg is a step in a new direction for the county. He brings a strong entrepreneurial background to the post.”

Heath has extensive experience as a business owner, having successfully started several companies. Most recently Heath helped found PUREwork, Inc., a technology startup that offers businesses pay-as-you-go virtual workforce.  He also founded E-Valuate, LLC a software service company that developed Web-based applications that eliminated frontline performance appraisals.

Prior to starting those companies, Heath spent a number of years in corporate marketing and sales development working with market leaders in a diverse array of vertical industries, such as agriculture, manufacturing and transportation.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be given an opportunity to lead the economic development efforts of Tama County, where I grew up,” said Kellogg. “My immediate priority is to get out and meet each of the nearly 1,000 businesses in the county. I am tremendously excited to get to work.”

Heath, 44, was born and raised in Tama County near Montour.  He graduated from South Tama High School in 1986, and from the North Dakota State University, Fargo. He and his wife, Lana, have been married for nineteen years and have three children; daughter Bailey, and sons, Cody and Cael.

….everyone who contributed or benefitted from our economy evolving in a healthy way. But we did give special recognition to the following nominees:

• Wendt Tire and Service won in the business formation category: Retiring entrepreneurs are a great threat to small town vitality. With fewer options, resources, and entrepreneurs in rural communities, we encourage business owners to at least start planning their exit strategies 10 years before their goal retirement date. In the case of Kaufman Tire & Service becoming Wendt Tire and Service they modeled one of the great buyout strategies.  Eugene “Butch” Wendt has been employed with the organization, so when he purchased the business in 2011 with the help of a few investors he already had an insider knowledge and business relationships in place for a healthy transition.

• Hometown Foods won in the expansion & retention category.  For many small towns, local retail is the man-on-the-street’s measurement of economic health.  So when the 2010 Iowa Grocery Industry Association Retail award winning Hometown Foods chain of locally owned grocery stores moved into Traer in 2011, it breathed new life into downtown and the surrounding businesses. This Tama County expansion is in addition to six other Hometown Foods grocery stores owned by Lyndon & Joani Johnson located in Gladbrook, Conrad, State Center, Hubbard, Baxter and Waterloo.
• Traer Municipal Utilities Wind Turbine won in the financing category.  When it became apparent a few years ago that Tama County, Iowa has above average wind speeds and better transmission lines than many other places with wind capacity, diversifying Traer Municipal Utilities’ energy portfolio with locally produced wind energy became an even stronger consideration. The ultimate goal being proactively diversifying for reliability and hedging future energy costs. Ultimately the project was financed by the wind turbine developer with the $3 million future energy payments spread out over six years. The turbine is expected to produce 5 million kWH’s of energy on an annual basis, which will offset roughly 30% of Traer’s annual energy requirements.  It is the first commercially operated wind turbine in Tama County.
• H & R Block won in the real estate category.  The Pizza Hut building in Toledo was a white elephant. It stood empty for six years before Elaine and Mark Linser recognized a new vision for it. In 2010 H&R Block experienced a 42.8% increase in new clients so they bought the building for a fraction of its listed price and transformed the building into a series of modern offices, a comfortable reception area and a training space. In 2012 they plan on employing 12 tax professionals as well as a receptionist.
• Meskwaki Museum won in the marketing category.  For decades the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa (Meskwaki) have kept their culture private. You could catch glimpses at the annual Pow Wow festival or a few panels on display in the lobby at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. But in 2011 the Meskwaki Museum formally opened at the Tribal Headquarters campus under the direction of historian Johnathan Buffalo and invited non-tribal members to learn more about the Meskwaki culture. It features artifacts, utensils, photographs, documents, art, bead work, and other items passed down from the Tribe through the years as well as objects donated from Tribal members and non-Indians. The Meskwaki museum is a part of the group of projects that earned Tama County an Iowa Great Places designation.
• Vining City Hall Makeover won in the community development category.  The smallest community in Tama County calls itself a family. Often to follow that up with a poverty joke on how the city’s income to manage city affairs is below that of the average American household. But it is a community with heart and a sense of humor. In 2011 they had a special “heart” transplant when their “Heart of the Bohemian Alps” roadside sign needed to be replanted. And when the modest city hall needed a new roof and shelving to protect the 130 years of public records, it was Mayor Dale Stout, Council Member George Bazal, and resident Fred Vore who donated labor in conjunction with a small $1,730 grant from Tama County Community Foundation to get the job done.
• Meskwaki Inc. won in the workforce & education category.  Diversification of income streams is the premise behind the formation of Meskwaki Inc., a for-profit corporation created to help tribal members startup businesses, corporations leverage 8a partnerships, and other profit generating enterprises to create jobs. In 2011 the founding board convened, legally separated operations from tribal government and hired a headhunter to recruit a serial entrepreneur to the area. The position is expected to be filled early 2012.
• 2011 Storm Recovery (Tama County, Clutier, Dysart, Garwin, Toledo) won in the strategic partnerships category.  On July 11, 2011 around 4 am Tama County was hit by a straight-line wind that measured forces up to 130 miles per hour before meteorological towers disintegrated. Not a single human life was lost, but $100+ million in lost productivity was suffered through the loss of animals, buildings, infrastructure, crops, and other protective vegetation. The communities and partners that worked together to increase safety and functionality after this unprecedented once in a thousand year storm hit are being recognized for their contribution to the economy in 2011.

And now the search has already started for Tama County’s 2012 innovators.  Ideas are in the pipeline and projects are underway across the county.  As always the Tama County Economic Development Commission will be there to support innovators.

Pictured (front row) Johnathan Buffalo, Don Lyons, Carl Zoffka, Ardene Cross, Dale Stout; (back row) Mark Linser, Lyndon Johnson, Butch Wendt, Tammy Wendt, Brian Sokol, Ellen Young.  Photo by Lindi Roelofse.

HOW WE DID IT:
Using teamwork our staff pulled together and worked with all our municipal partners to help the citizens of Tama County respond to and recover from the 11 July 2011 windstorm.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
Our communities all have excellent emergency services, almost all of whom are volunteers; our speedy recovery from the storm could not have been done without them. Our staff is only a small piece of the puzzle; the public works, fire, EMS, and law enforcement of the county made things possible.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
Keeping all the resources flowing to the appropriate areas, the outpouring of support was truly overwhelming and extremely helpful.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
We relied heavily on our county’s volunteer emergency responders, they truly were the engine of the various city’s and the county’s success/recovery.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
Always ask for the help you need, someone will answer the call.

WHAT IS NEXT:
The Tama County Emergency Management Agency is continuing to work with FEMA on recovery and is simultaneously preparing for any future disasters.

For more information about Tama County Emergency Management, go to its website at www.tamacounty.org.

Pictured:  Julie Vokoun, Tama County Emergency Management Agency

HOW WE DID IT:
We worked with Central Iowa Water Association who contacted the city of Gladbrook.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
Since most properties in Lincoln did not have an adequate area to properly operate individual septic systems with drain fields, CIWA came up with the idea to pump Lincoln’s sewage to Gladbrook through pipes.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
Obtaining a grant and finding an alternative to building a treatment system.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
We applied for and received a grant and having the Gladbrook council allow Lincoln’s sewage to be pumped to and treated at Gladbrook.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
To apply for grants and to look at all the cost effective options available.

For more information about the city of Lincoln, go to their webpage.

Photo by Wayne Chamberlain [2011 Lincoln Mayor Roland Fink]

HOW WE DID IT:
The city needed a reliable source of electricity during long term outages.  When the idea was presented to the community as fundraisers, the community responded with volunteers, a grant writer, and more ideas.  With the hard work and perseverance of several volunteers, we were able to accomplish the task.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
Part of Garwin’s Emergency Management Plan needed electricity and a place for shelter during emergencies.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
Developing a plan and coordination of volunteers’ time and skills and installing the material.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
The community pitched in, including using the Retired Brigade to run and deliver material to the job site.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
Whole community involvement is a must!

WHAT IS NEXT:
We are currently taking donations, along with fundraisers for a community digital sign.

For more information about Garwin, go to their website at www.tamacountyiowa.org/garwin.

HOW WE DID IT:
Meskwaki Inc. is a product of about 5 years of planning for diversification of the Meskwaki Tribe’s business interests and is based on a nation building model for economic development.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
Tribal leaders came to the conclusion that sustained economic and financial growth would require diversification.  Nation Building as a model was developed by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona and provided an understanding of several key ingredients to successful economic development in Indian Country.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
Our greatest challenge has been to find the best means to ensure the well-being of the tribe, economically, while trying to maintain the survival of our unique culture and lifeways.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
We have attempted to meet or overcome the challenge by very thoughtful discussions and planning at summit meetings.  We have consulted with experts in the fields of business and economic development and created systems of governance to support this type of development.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
In order to try and create a vision for the future, rely on the strength of your forefathers as examples of what is possible, with some blood, sweat, and tears.

WHAT IS NEXT:
Meskwaki Inc.’s Board of Directors will be hiring a CEO soon and, together, they will be formulating a growth and development plan that focuses on the creation of new, tribally-owned businesses, training & jobs, and capital investment in the local and regional economies.

For more information about the Meskwaki Tribe, to go their website at www.meskwaki.org and listen to their interview on Radio Z95.5 FM at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, February 17, 2012.

Pictured left to right: Bill Largent, President/CEO of Meskwaki Inc, and leadership team Yolanda Pushetonequa, Michael Sadler, and Larry Lasley.

HOW WE DID IT:
Last spring we presented the idea of a Green Tech class to all the high school students.   We thought we would get maybe 4-5 students to sign up.  We were thrilled when 15 did.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
With the prospect of the Salt Creek wind farm going in near Traer, I presented the idea of a wind energy technician class to Hawkeye Community College.  They were developing their own program then and were very interested in the off-campus training site.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
We had hoped that Hawkeye Community College would rent or build a building here in Traer.  But due to the down turn in the economy, funding wasn’t available to do this.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
We used a class room at the high school and used a science teacher and myself as instructors.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
Alternative energy is the .com of the future.  Wind should play an important part of Tama County’s future.

WHAT IS NEXT:
Hopefully start an evening class for adults and offer the entire program here in Traer.

For more information about Hawkeye Community College, go to www.hawkeyecollege.edu.

Photo by Ellen Young [Traer Mayor Pete Holden, Irv Laube]

HOW WE DID IT:
I researched the process, visited other coaches within the state, and attended some competitions.   Then, I initiated the registration process for a team in the Union Middle School for the 2010 – 2011 season.  After announcing the program, 20 students signed-up – and second team became immediately necessary.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
Having been impressed with the generosity and commitment of the athletic coaches making sports possible for his young boys, I was looking for a way to give-back in my own field of technology.   Having stumbled across a television documentary about the US FIRST Robotics programs, it seemed like the natural path both to give-back and to provide a valuable opportunity for science and technology oriented students.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
Being an entirely volunteer run organization, and without any funding from the local school systems – financing the costs of the program, and finding able volunteers to help as coaches are a constant and ongoing challenge.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
For funding issues, an education campaign was started to inform the communities of the program and its objectives, and to solicit support from local businesses and individuals.   Grant style funding was also engaged from major corporate sponsors like John Deere, Rockwell Collins, and Pioneer HiBred.   Coaches have been recruited by pursuing the parent-base of the enrolled students.  So far, this pool has been both able and generous of their time and talents.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
Get started soon!   Be careful to let the students do all of the work.   Recruit funds and assistance early and often.   Read the game (competition) manuals carefully and repeatedly.

WHAT IS NEXT:
The US FIRST organization offers robotics competitions at three levels;  FLL - which serves 4th thru 8th grades, and then both FTC and FRC which serve the high school aged students.  With each level the robots and the challenges get larger and more complicated.  The current (Rookie) FTC team is the lone high school level team.  We want to advance the program more broadly in the high school, and start an FRC team within the next three years.

I will be happy to visit your organization to answer any question and to provide additional insight into the program.    Team visits and demonstrations are also possible.  For more information, go to Union School District’s website at www.union.k12.ia.us.

Photo by Randy Aiken.

HOW WE DID IT:
Over the past few months a splendidly diverse group of leaders from all over Tama County has been coming together to form the Tama County Diversity Alliance to learn and celebrate the differences of uniqueness, and to build on Tama County’s diversity as a community asset.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
The thought of a diversity festival occurred to me while reading about a similar event in Oklahoma and I began to think how diverse Tama County has become and I quickly called the Economic Development Director, Lindi Roelofse, and ran the diversity festival idea past her and asked if something like this has ever happened in the history of Tama County and what Tama County has done to recognize diversity growth or if Tama County even realizes how diverse Tama County is.  It has been shown that the Tama County Economic Development Commission is an asset for networking.  My tribal operations team was able to meet a wide diverse number of individuals like: Tracy Brady, Becca Chyma, Ryan Currens, Micki Ferris, Ann Graham, Victoria Hamilton, Midge Horton, Jamie Huntley, Alan Kline, Joyce Legg, Dwayne Luze, Yvonne Mallory, Kristi Martin, Kristina Martinez, Sandy McAntire, Kerri Nelson, Erica Podhajsky, Donna Sampson, Mario Sanchez, Ivy Sievers, Ruth Sjostrom, Jim Tekippe,  Manuel Villagrana, Julie Vokoun, and Tony Wilson.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
The greatest challenge is identifying a time that works best for everyone.  Everyone has work commitments to timing is very valuable.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
The meeting occurs in the afternoons and sometimes in the early evening to ensure everyone can meet one time or another.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
The best advice I can give is to be flexible, secure the necessary tools, plan, and build a knowledgeable team ready to act.

WHAT IS NEXT:
Mark your calendars for the educational day celebrating diversity on May 4 and the Diversity Festival on May 5.  Locations: TBD.

For more information on the Diversity Festival go to its website.

Pictured (front) Daniel Youngbear; (back row, left to right) Hans Moeller, Shirley Kubik, Ana Huerta, Evan Wilson. 

HOW WE DID IT:
With a grant from the Tama County Community Foundation we were able to secure funds for material.

HOW WE GOT THE IDEA:
City hall was in need of repair on the exterior.  We thought we should also do the interior as city hall is used for various meetings.  Also in renovation it was made handicap accessible.

OUR GREATEST CHALLENGE:
Finding labor to do the work.

HOW WE OVERCAME IT:
Once we started we just kept at it with the help of a few friends and neighbors.

ADVICE TO OTHERS:
With persistence and hard work you can overcome most obstacles.  Small communities with limited funds can appreciate organizations like community foundations to complete projects such as these.

WHAT IS NEXT:
Hopefully we can make some improvements in the park.

For more information on Vining, go to their website at www.tamacountyiowa.org/vining.

Photo by Midge Horton [2011 Vining mayor Dale Stout]