.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Curtis Brown had finally settled into a job as executive director of Mason City Economic Development Corp. He and his wife, Rachel, had recently purchased a house and were planning on watching their two boys graduate from high school there. Then, the opportunity arose for Brown to become assistant director of economic development for the city of Ankeny. Now the Minnesota native is looking to settle in Greater Des Moines and become a major part of Ankeny’s business development.

What drew you to Ankeny?

It was a combination of the leadership and the opportunities here. This city is known for its progressive attitudes and for its unparalleled success among other cities in Iowa.

What is your background?

I grew up in the St. Croix valley of Minnesota. I went to St. John’s University, then to the University of Texas for my master’s degree. It was while I was at UT that I took an internship with Austin’s municipal electric utility, and it opened my eyes to the power of local government to make positive changes in a community. I then focused all my efforts in my education on public affairs.

We returned to Minnesota, and I worked for the state for five years at the Department of Human Services in its Housing Finance Agency. I was looking for an opportunity in local government, so we moved to Blue Earth, Minn., which is 10 miles from Iowa, and spent two years there. I was the community development director. Then when the opportunity to be the executive director of Mason City’s Economic Development Corp. opened up, I took that job.

What are your degrees in?

I was a Spanish major and management minor at St. John’s and went to the University of Texas thinking I was going to teach Latin American history. But through that experience with the city of Austin, I decided that history is something that I would rather read about with a cup of coffee, and the excitement and the ability to effect change at the local government level is where I’d like to work, so I switched my major to public affairs.

With your Spanish major, have you had a chance to travel a lot?

Actually I am bilingual in Spanish and English and we’re raising our children bilingually. That is a result of my studies and also I’ve traveled many times to Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador.

What is your role with Ankeny?

We want Ankeny to be a job center in the Des Moines metro. I will be focusing on our industrial development. My efforts will be on marketing the community to new businesses and working with our exciting industries to encourage their expansion here.

Any industries in particular?

This is a great spot for biosciences and advanced manufacturing. We’re in a very good spot for warehousing, distribution and logistics. We have several high-quality food manufacturers in the area, and of course we have the strength of the entire Des Moines metro on the financial services and business support industries.

What is one accomplishment from your time in Mason City?

We worked across the region to develop a plan called Helping Entrepreneurs Launch at North Central Iowa. That program provides health insurance for up to three years to potential entrepreneurs who are willing to start their businesses in North Central Iowa. We did that by writing a successful grant application to The Iowa Department of Economic Development and working with many partners. There has been tremendous interest in this program and it has received nationwide publicity.

What is one skill you bring to this position?

I had a very influential mentor at St. John’s who taught me the importance of doing what you say and what you commit to and doing it very well. And that sense of responsibility to the people that I serve I think drives me to excellence in serving the community.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Sometimes the frustrating lack of control. What we do is set the table, and the economy and business plans have to work together to make what we’ve prepared here successful.

What do you like to do for fun?

Having two boys, Maximilian, who’s four and a half, and Adrian, who’s 18 months, exploring new places is one of the things we love to do as a family. Also my wife and I love going to coffee shops and reading and talking. Coffee is a good glue for our relationship.