Rand Fisher, president of the Iowa Area Development Group, recently received the Leadership for Iowa Award from Leadership Iowa, an issues-awareness program sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry that educates and motivates current and future leaders. Fisher, a Red Oak native, studied political science and speech communications at Luther College before receiving a master’s in public administration from the University of Iowa. His career began in public policy, which sparked in him a passion for economic development.

During college, what were your career intentions?

I thought I wanted to be a city manager. I left the University of Iowa to complete an internship for the city of Sioux City, and while I was there, I got to be involved in things like the capital improvements program and I got to work with the Community Development Block Grant program and other programs and activities.

What changed your mind?

I probably would have pursued a career in city management, but I got a call from a former professor who asked me to come down to Des Moines to talk to her about a job at the Capitol, so I ended up going to work at the Statehouse and became director of the Republican research staff.

And then did that lead to other government jobs?

I ended up working for Gov. (Terry) Branstad and helping him with his campaign, and I became one of his executive assistants during his first term and re-election. During the 1980s, when I was kind of coming of age, if you will, and working for the governor, education and economic development were two of his top priorities. It was a time when we desperately needed to get Iowa back on the move, so we spent a lot of time in the economic development arena. That ignited a bit of passion for business and community development work.

Why prompted you to leave politics?

Feeling that maybe his (Branstad’s) career shouldn’t be my career, I took off to go do some other things and ended up in economic development and utility work. I spent a couple of years as president of Spencer Industries Association and Spencer Area Association of Business and Industry, and then went on to work as a region manager for People’s Natural Gas UtiliCorp before joining the IADG in 1997.

Who, does the Iowa Area Development Group work for?

We work on behalf of 85 consumer-owned utilities. Utility companies are very capital-intensive and their investment is focused where their buyers and pipes are. As such, the way that they grow their utility is by growing the businesses and communities that they serve.

What appeals to you so much about economic development?

I just have a tremendous respect for entrepreneurs, and I recognize the important role that business and entrepreneurship play in our country in terms of capital investment, job creation and advancing our country and the life that we enjoy as individuals and families. It’s also fun to be involved in the kinds of relationships and partnerships that lead to major job creation and capital investment for the state.

How do you help communities through your work?

We believe strongly in community development. We realize that nobody is going to want to invest in communities that are not otherwise attractive and good places for individuals and families. That’s what really brought us into this realm of community foundation work. We decided to partner with the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation to start the Iowa Community Affiliate Network. Through this partnership, we are now assisting over 30 Iowa counties and their communities as they begin their philanthropy journey and start up their community foundations.

What do you do outside work?

I am privileged to serve on a number of boards across the state, such as Easter Seals, the Iowa Small Business Development Center, the Association of Business and Industry, Iowans for a Better Future, the Community Vitality Center of Iowa. I have a great family. My wife is Cyndi, and I have three children, ages 16, 14 and 12. I enjoy bicycling on Iowa’s trails and being outside, and I love to watch college sports and read.

What are you currently reading?

It’s kind of a business book. It’s called “Harvest of Joy.” It’s by Robert Mondavi. It’s the story about the feud that took place in the Mondavi family (winemakers from California) as he tried to really jump forward the quality and the respectability of the California wine industry. My wife and I hadn’t been away for a long time, so we went out to California last year to tour wine country, and I picked the book up out there while I was touring the Mondavi Winery. I also have “Big Russ and Me” going right now, Tim Russert’s book about his relationship with his dad.

From your experience working with other leaders, including a governor, what qualities do you think are most important in a strong leader?

I guess three things come to my mind are hard work, honesty and humility. I think you have to have absolute integrity, tend to the business at hand and not be afraid to do the hard work it takes to be a leader. I think that people who get a little too carried away with themselves are always in danger of taking the big fall. Something else that guides me is that I believe that faith and action make things come true.