Program Recap: Regional Intercity Collaboration

From March 20 to 26, we welcomed 5 international leaders for the program titled “Regional Intercity Collaboration.” The aim of the group’s visit to eastern Iowa was to cultivate public services, develop policies to address regional needs and challenges, and examine organizational structures and frameworks for facilitating cooperation and resource sharing among neighboring municipalities. 

Upon their arrival at the eastern Iowa airport, the leaders, accompanied by their interpreter, were greeted by volunteer Mary Gregg. They spent the rest of their first day getting settled and individually exploring Iowa City. 

Meeting with East Central Iowa Council of Government (ECICOG)

Friday, March 21 started with their first meeting with the Executive Director of East Central Iowa Council of Government (ECICOG) Karen Kurt in Cedar Rapids. The group discussed local government collaboration to learn about ways to benefit their communities. After lunch, they reboarded the bus to their second and final meeting of the day. The group met with the Executive of P3 initiatives Paul Robinson to talk about strategic planning to promote multi-faceted partnerships in the community. Paul shared his extensive experience and expertise in the energy sector, detailing what a P3 is, how it works, the future of energy and the solutions needed to address energy challenges, and how P3s are so important in shaping the industry.  

On Saturday, March 22, the delegation headed to Kalona Historical Village for their Heritage tour. While there, they enjoyed a guided tour to a bakery and local woodworking shop. After the tour, they returned to Iowa City to enjoy the rest of their day. On Sunday, March 23, the delegation went to their Iowa Table Dinner, hosted by Katie Ron.

On Monday, March 24, the delegation headed to Cedar Rapids to their meeting with all of the greater Iowa City—Cedar Rapids area congressional representatives’ offices. They had a roundtable with local staff for congressional representatives to discuss the policy pipeline from the local and regional level. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, as well as Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, provided a perspective on intercity collaboration and how it interacts with inner continental U.S. daily operations.  

At the end of their meeting, the group returned to Iowa City to prepare for their next meeting with Greater Iowa City, Inc. representatives. Accompanied by volunteer Jeanne Stoakes, they met with President & CEO Nancy Bird, Vice President of Business Support & Operations Mary Willie, Senior Director of Advocacy MacKenzie DeRoo, and Senior Director of Community Development & Executive Director of Better Together 2030 Cady Gerlach. The discussion focused on analyzing methods of increasing partnerships between the community and companies to promote a more prosperous economy. After the meeting, the rest of their day was free to enjoy Iowa City on their own. 

Meeting with The Office of Iowa Republican Congressional Representatives

The morning of Tuesday, March 25 started with their first meeting at North Liberty with representatives of Corridor Business Journal (CBJ). Accompanied by Jeanne Stoakes, they met with Richard Pratt, Senior Reporter of CBJ, to learn about journalistic methods to promote collaboration and how they enhance business throughout the Corridor. Following this meeting, the group met with City Manager Geoff Fruin, Deputy City Manager Chris O’Brien and Assistant City Manager Kirk Lehmann to talk about promoting local economic development over multiple cities and counties. They then met with Travis Kraus, Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, School of Planning and Public Affairs, to discuss the creation of more sustainable regional futures through public-private partnerships. The last meeting of the day was with Newman Abuissa, transportation engineer of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). They discussed the complex nature of DOT projects and development at the city, county, state and federal levels.  

On March 26, the delegation departed from Iowa City.  

We would like to thank Mary Gregg, Katie Ron and Jeanne Stoakes for volunteering and interacting with the delegation! Additionally, we extend our gratitude to East Central Iowa Council of Government, P3 initiatives, Kalona Historical Village, the Office of Iowa Republican Congressional Representatives, Greater Iowa City, Inc., Better Together 2030, Corridor Business Journal, Iowa League of Cities, Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, and Iowa Department of Transportation for serving as our professional resources for this program! We appreciate the time and effort you have taken to engage with our delegation.