The Ankeny Economic Development Council this week announced the launch of Ankeny Works, a new campaign designed to increase the city’s work force, strengthen existing business relationships and promote business growth.

The initial phase of the project included interviews with 18 people, including young professionals, working mothers, small-business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs, who either live or work in Ankeny.

Each Monday, the city’s economic development department plans to post on its website a profile of representatives of companies such as Monsanto Co., Tone’s Spices and The Weitz Co. Ankeny Works’ first article features Jeff McGill, a manager in Deere & Co.’s manufacturing services division at John Deere Des Moines Works.

“As people view the profiles, they will see that Ankeny is working for their peers,” said Kim Schaaf, who serves on the Economic Development Council, in a press release. “Our hope is that they will want to learn more about how Ankeny can work for them, too.”

The 11-member council was formed in October 2010 as a way to formally incorporate Ankeny’s Economic Development Task Force, which since 2007 had worked to support economic development initiatives such as providing incentives to attract and retain businesses and the external marketing of the community.

“The City Council wanted to formalize it into an Economic Development Council,” said Curtis Brown, Ankeny’s assistant director of economic development. “It is the new citizen advisory body to help us move forward the work of our department.”