Iowa’s economic development head hoping to ‘tell our story’ in her final year on job

ALTOONA — Going into her final year on the job, Iowa’s state economic development leader said she hopes to “tell our story” to recruit more businesses and residents to choose Iowa as a home base.

Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Finance Authority, addressed the Iowa Taxpayers Association’s annual symposium Thursday at The Meadows Events and Conference Center.

Durham has been the state’s economic development director since 2011, the entirety of the most recent two Republican gubernatorial administrations. A former Sioux City Chamber of Commerce leader, Durham was appointed by then-Gov. Terry Branstad and was retained by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Durham said Thursday that she will be done at IEDA when Reynolds completes her term in early 2027. Reynolds is not seeking re-election next year.

In the coming months, Durham hopes to sell Iowa as a home to more businesses and residents, she said. In addressing the Iowa Taxpayers Association gathering, she listed what she believes are selling points for the state, like lowered individual and business tax rates, a low cost of living compared to other states, and recreation opportunities.

“Right now, the position that Gov. Reynolds has put us in with a really competitive tax climate, all of these accolades that we’re getting from all these ranking agencies, I think the next step for us is really just go out and get on the road and start telling our story to site selectors and others to say we’re here. We’re ready for development,” Durham told reporters after her remarks Thursday. “And I think that’s where I’m going to kind of focus my time this next year, is beginning to get that story out in a little broader context.”

Iowa’s population growth has been stagnant and trailed the rest of the country. From 2020 to 2024, Iowa’s population grew just 1.6 percent; the U.S. population increased 2.6 percent in the same period. Iowa’s population growth rate ranks 30th among the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures compiled by the Iowa Legislative Services Agency.

‘Where the hell is Iowa?’

Durham said IEDA conducted a national survey to learn what types of people it could target as potential new Iowa residents. She said one of the primary challenges facing the state was that many respondents did not know much about Iowa.

“I have to say, as we’re watching the data come in and we’re hearing these focus groups, we’re feeling really good about Iowa — until we ask the final question,” Durham said during her remarks. “And the question was, ‘What do you think of Iowa,’ and they said, ‘Where the hell is Iowa?’”

Durham said that spurred the state to create a campaign to create the “This is Iowa” campaign, a 30-second television advertisement that boasted about the quality of life in Iowa and encouraged people to visit, work and live in the state.

The state also created a website thisisiowa.com, which includes a comparative cost of living calculator. Durham said the site has exceeded expectations; nearly 12,000 individuals — Durham calls them “leads” — have shared their information on the site.

Durham said a next phase for the site and recruitment efforts will be niche marketing based on industry.

“I would tell you that most Midwest states are doing this as part of economic development. I really don’t know another state that’s doing it as comprehensively as we are, with all the data and metrics impacted,” Durham said.

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com

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