Greater Iowa City Inc. emerges as merged organization to focus on the needs of Johnson County businesses

IOWA CITY — The unified Iowa City Area Development Group and Iowa City Area Business Partnership now has a single identity: Greater Iowa City Inc.

The new name — and details about the organization’s future work to support local businesses and economic development efforts in Johnson County — was announced in a news release Tuesday.

The recommendation to merge the two entities was made last October. It was formally approved in November, and the merger was completed on July 1.

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Greater Iowa City Inc. is being led by Nancy Bird, former executive director of the Iowa City Downtown District. Bird was named CEO of the merged organization in May.

At the time of the announcement of the merger last year, leaders in the two organizations said the joining of forces would allow them to better address challenges facing the business community.

Tuesday’s news release pointed to the new name as an indicator of the organization’s dedication to serving “the greater Iowa City area,“ which it noted includes Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty, as well as all other communities in Johnson County.

“We know this new name will remain relevant now and to our work decades in the future,” said Robin Therme, president of CIVCO Medical Solutions, who has been serving as chair of the Transition Executive Board.

In addition to the new name, Greater Iowa City Inc. will have “significant changes to its approach,” according to the news release. Greater IC, which is a 501(c)6 economic development organization, will be providing open access to its services for all small or emerging businesses. It also will serve every business as a member of the organization.

The news release notes that Greater IC also will integrate its services with Better Together 2030 and become a primary lead to support implementation of the All In Vision Plan. The plan focuses on five pillars — environment, neighborhoods and districts, well-connected mobile region, inclusive economic ecosystem and re-imagining social services — to create a vision for Johnson County’s future.

Cady Gerlach, who was named Better Together 2030’s executive director in 2022, will serve in a new dual role: vice president of community development at Greater IC, and executive director of Better Together 2030. The change was approved by the Better Together 2030 board of directors.

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One focus of Greater Iowa City Inc. will be the development of new business councils that will focus on business needs and goals. The councils, whose creation is a direct response to focus groups conducted this spring, will give Greater Iowa City Inc. investors an opportunity to engage with each other and work collaboratively to solve problems.

“This direction is going to pull greater Iowa City together in ways we haven’t been able to tap before,” Therme said in the news release. “... Through the inclusive membership model and business councils, we can develop a better system for the voice of businesses to be at the table and to support an inclusive economy.”

Greater Iowa City Inc. will launch an investment campaign at its annual meeting Nov. 15 at the Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Conference Center. Local leaders will learn the structure of the business councils, hear detailed plans for the future, and have opportunities to engage. Find more information at iowacityarea.com or iowacityareadevelopment.com.