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How did you get into this position as executive director of the Iowa Association of Regional Councils (IARC)?

I actually started my professional career at a council of governments (COG). I worked for Region XII Council of Governments in Carroll before I went to state government, so I’m very familiar with Iowa councils of governments and have continued to work closely with them in my role with state government.

Is there something you’re focused on initially?

It’s been a little bit challenging in terms of narrowing the scope because there’s so much that we want to do, but one thing we’re really starting to focus on is more marketing, getting the word out about what are councils of governments, what are they doing in Iowa communities and counties and what good work are coming out of these organizations. I’ll be spending a fair amount of time meeting with state and federal agencies to explore opportunities for collaboration – how can Iowa’s councils of governments help these entities achieve their goals.

What’s the hardest part about your job?

I think one of our biggest challenges is getting legislators, state agencies, officials and just the general public to understand everything that councils of governments do. There are still quite a few people that don’t realize all of the services that councils of governments provide in their areas and that a lot of those services are driven by the needs of the individual region.

What excites you about the role?

First of all, I’m excited to be working within the council of governments system again. I believe very strongly in the mission of the COGs and I believe that they are critical to Iowa’s economy. The other thing that excites me is that it is a new position, so there’s so many opportunities and I have the opportunity to shape some things and really bring my own ideas and put my own spin on the position.

Is there a certain trait you bring to this position?

I think because such an important part of this position is getting that face time with agencies and sometimes legislators and other groups to discuss the work of the COGs, obviously it’s important to have good people skills, to be able to be charismatic and also interact extremely well with people, and I think I’m very good at that. I’m typically not at a loss for words.

Was this a big change for you?

It’s a very big change for the simple fact that I’m working out of my home, which I love. I like the flexibility, but it’s been very different not to get up every morning and get ready and drive to the office and at 4:30 or 5 o’clock drive home. So I’m still adjusting and trying to figure out what works best for me in terms of my own schedule.

What do you do for fun?

When I’m not working, my girls are pretty much my hobby. Kaitlyn is getting involved in more activities, so that takes up a lot of our time. My husband is an Iowa State alumnus so I’m required to be a Cyclone fan now. We have season basketball tickets so we go up to Ames for a fair amount of sporting events, and then we just bought a camper, so we are very excited to get out in the camper this summer.

Is there an accomplishment you’re most proud of?

Before I took this position, I was at the Iowa Department of Economic Development for nine years, and I had the opportunity for almost four years to be the Vision Iowa program manager. I’m very proud of the work that I was able to do with the Vision Iowa Board. I remember when Wells Fargo (& Co.’s new West Des Moines campus) was in the works and that project was seeking funding. It’s been fun to see those projects happen.

Is there a piece of advice that you live by?

I always tell my daughters to treat other people the way you would like to be treated, and as my girls get older, I find myself saying that more and more. So both personally and just for a work aspect, I try to keep that in mind in terms of how I interact with people.