Clayberg Graduates from Economic Development Institute

Nate Clayberg Graduates from OU EDI

Monday April 1, 2013

Nate Clayberg, Executive Director for Buchanan County Economic Development, recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute on March 14, 2013 at the OU/EDI spring session held in Norman, Oklahoma.  

OU/EDI is an intensive week long, three-tier program, which provides a broad spectrum of advanced education for the economic development professional.

OU/EDI Dean LaDene Bowen said, "As the premier organization dedicated to training economic development professionals, I am very pleased with this year's graduates. They represent some of the finest economic development practitioners in the U.S. working to support their local communities. My congratulations to them." 

OU/EDI classes focus on three major core areasincluding: Business Retention and Expansion,
Real Estate, and Finance, as well as areas of concentration in Marketing, Strategic Planning, Entrepreneurship, and Managing Economic Development Organizations. Students complete 117 hours of instruction with curriculum selected from more than fifty seminars, workshops and discussion groups.

Commencing in 1962, OU EDI is celebrating its 51st year of service to the professional economic development community. Fully accredited by the International Economic Development Council, the program has trained over 3,500 graduates and remains the world's leading economic development teacher. 

Clayberg will next pursue his professional certification in economic development from the International Economic Development Council. To contact Buchanan County Economic Development call 319-334-7497, email nate.clayberg@growbuchanan.com or visit www.growbuchanan.com to see how your local economic development organization can assist your business. 

2012 BCEDc Annual Report: Instilling Opportunities
The economy of Buchanan County, Iowa continues to grow from the Great Recession of a just a few years ago with higher employment, retail sales and taxable valuations. Buchanan County Economic Development, is proud to see the incremental growth in key data figures, but also has enjoyed working with the local companies like Geater Machining and Manufacturing, Wapsie Valley Creamery, L&M Radiator and Flint Hills Resources, as they continue to grow their operations in Buchanan County in 2012.

In 2011 the BCEDc took direction to Align for Growth of the Future of Buchanan County in the Cedar Valley Region by building relationships with key stakeholders in order to identify local and regional essentials to help promote economic growth. In 2012, the efforts of this organization took the next step to instill concepts that will look to develop roots for opportunities in 2013. Buchanan County Economic Development spent considerable time this past year examining and nurturing the infrastructure that is necessary for seeding growth in any community. Areas of work included Organizational Strategy, Sustained Local and Regional Collaboration, Workforce Development and Attraction, Small Business Development and Finance, Property Redevelopment and the Formation of Industrial and Commercial Development Concepts.

The BCEDc will again evaluate its objectives based on the work they can control, the impact their work is intended to achieve and how the innovations and leadership they display in their communities influences change in Buchanan County and the Cedar Valley Region. To Instill Opportunities for the county and region they will continue to strengthen their relationships in the communities as well as the collaborative Partnerships with Office 112 and the Cedar Valley Regional Partnerships.

See the full 2012 Annual Report for Buchanan County Economic Development

Buchanan County Job Fair: Thurs. Sept. 13, 2012

Buchanan County Economic Development, with partnership from Sedona Staffing's Independence office, will be hosting the 2012 Fall Buchanan County Job Fair on Thursday, September 13 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Henderson Events Center at 2320 Iowa Avenue in Independence, Iowa.

This event is free to all potential employment applicants.  Job opportunities include, but are not limited to: 

• Full Time, Part Time, To Hire, Temporary, Direct Hires
• 1st, 2nd, & 3rd shifts available, 8-12 hours shifts
• Machinist
• CNC Operators
• Production
• Industrial Painters
• Assemblers
• Engineers
• HR Generalist
• Fabricators
• Clerical / Administrative
• Maintenance
• Warehouse
• …. and MANY more!
• A variety of industries will be represented (Industrial, Manufacturing, Clerical, Professional)

What to expect: Speak one-on-one with local Buchanan County employers to discuss your potential next career path and opportunity. If possible, please bring a copy of resume & two forms of I.D. (Driver’s licenses ID & Social Security Card are the most commonly ones used.)

Event sponsored by Sedona Staffing Services – Independence (319.332.1070)

Buchanan County Economic Development (319.334-7497)

Start Living Like The Main Character In Your Life Story - Rich Gee

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6. They speak when others won’t.
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Lee Cockerell led the cast at WDW for many years, ineptly in his career in hospitality he admittedly didn't treat his staff well. After much self reflection he changed his management style to focus on involment of staff is the decisionmaking process.

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BCEDC 2011 Annual Report: Aligning for Growth of our Future

Buchanan County has come through upside of the Great Recession in pretty good fashion from one year ago.  Many key statistics saw positive moves in 2011: lower unemployment, increased demand for workers, increased wages, retail sales are up, record high land values, increased school enrollments in many of our districts and higher deposits in our county financial institutions.  However, the 2010 census caused many of our communities concern with drops in population, a trend that is being seen in much of rural Iowa. But the close proximately of several commerce centers like Cedar Rapids and Waterloo/ Cedar Falls has caused our area to not see the dramatic drops that many rural communities are experiencing.

In the past year we have spent increased time with businesses and communities on economic development initiatives that are a result of growth in our area as we come out of the economic downturn. Local businesses are seeing increases in demand for their products and services, and most importantly are in need of quality workers to help grow their businesses into 2012. The economic environment has also given aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs ambition to start or grow their ventures as we see the interest in business counseling service increasing.

This next year businesses and citizens have an increased optimism, albeit cautious-optimism, for the building of wealth in our area as a result of successful economic development efforts. It will be the objective of Buchanan County Economic Development to provide important guidance to help make these efforts successful.  We will need to align this organization for growth of our future by redeveloping strategic plans for partnership, businesses development and programming support for our investors and their constituents. We will look to evaluate this effort based on the work we can control, the impact our work is intended to achieve and how the innovations and leadership we display in our communities influences change in our area. As we align our organization, we will also collaborate with other organizations to align for future growth for Buchanan County and the Cedar Valley Region of Iowa.


View the full 2011 BCEDC Annual Report