Organizations uniting as Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance

After many years of operating separately, members of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, the Cedar Rapids Downtown District and Priority One have voted to merge into a single entity on Jan. 1.

The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance was formally unveiled Tuesday at the conclusion of a joint annual meeting of the three business groups at the Hawkeye Downs Expo Center.

Dee Baird, president of Priority One and interim Area Chamber president, will be chief executive officer of the new entity and Doug Neumann, president of the Downtown District, will be executive vice president of the organization.

Baird said the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance will have a goal of making the Corridor one of the top economic growth regions in the country.

Read more at Business380.com