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Childhood literacy nonprofit expands to Iowa, names Midwest executive director

Reach Out and Read, a national nonprofit that promotes early childhood literacy and healthy early relationships with caregivers, announced Laura Holms as the new executive director of Reach Out and Read Midwest. The nonprofit recently expanded into the Midwest to serve the 360,000 children under the age of 5 across Iowa and Nebraska, a news release…

By Business Record Staff | May 16, 2025

Chelesvig receives Broadway League’s lifetime achievement award

At the Broadway League’s Annual Spring Road Conference in New York, Des Moines Performing Arts President and CEO Jeff Chelesvig was presented with the Distinguished Lifetime Service Award for his decades of leadership and advocacy on behalf of touring Broadway. Over his three-decade tenure, Chelesvig gained national recognition for DMPA, anchored the Willis Broadway Series…

By Business Record Staff | May 16, 2025

ABI announces top 8 products in Coolest Things contest

Eight products have advanced to the next round of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry’s Coolest Thing Made in Iowa competition. The products will compete in head-to-head matchups to determine the final four products. Voting is open until midnight on Wednesday, May 21. Votes can be cast once per day. The top eight products are:

By Business Record Staff | May 16, 2025

Winnebago exec addresses latest layoffs

Daniel Sullivan, communications director for Winnebago Industries, told the Business Record why the company is laying off 196 people in northern Iowa. Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act data released Thursday noted that 128 people in Forest City, 30 people in Lake Mills, 20 people in Charles City and 18 in Waverly will lose their…

By Business Record Staff | May 16, 2025

Food bank shelving filled with donated tinned food ready for distribution

Feeding America study: Food insecurity has increased in every Iowa county

Food insecurity is up in all 99 Iowa counties. That’s according to Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study. One in eight Iowans (12%) and one in six Iowa children (16.6%) face food insecurity, according to the latest report. In Iowa, 385,130 people do not know where they will find their next meal, including 120,220 children. The annual meal…

By Business Record Staff | May 16, 2025

Wintersteen to retire from ISU in 2026

Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen announced today she will retire next year after a 46-year career with the university. In a message to the campus community, Wintersteen said she has asked the Iowa Board of Regents to begin the search for the land-grant university’s next president, who would assume the role in January 2026. “In these past…

By Business Record Staff | May 16, 2025

Semi truck driving along a highway under a stunning sunset sky, showcasing the beauty of long hauls.

Interstate designation for Highways 65/5 passes legislative hurdle

The Iowa House and Senate this week passed a bill that paves the way for a portion of U.S. Highway 65 and Iowa Highway 5 to be designated as a federal interstate, sending the bill to Gov. Kim Reynolds. The designation would help attract new businesses to the area, as many site selectors require nearby…

By Gigi Wood | May 16, 2025

A Closer Look: David Jones

David Jones started his new position as city manager of the city of Urbandale on Jan. 27, two days after his final day as city manager of the city of Ankeny, a job he held for 11 years. In Ankeny, the city grew by 26,000 residents during his tenure, an increase of 52%. He is…

By Gigi Wood | May 16, 2025

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