Linn County to hire rural economic development director

CEDAR RAPIDS — Amid a surge of commercial projects in the area, Linn County leaders are seeking to hire a director to help guide future economic development.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors this week approved the creation of a rural economic development director position within the county’s workforce. Once hired, the director will leverage “strategic leadership and professional expertise” to guide economic development in rural Linn County.

By hiring “an economic development director for the county, I think our possibilities are endless, and it can just build off the good that we’ve done with the great team we already have in place,” said District 1 Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt.

The county has seen a surge in economic development projects over the past year between the planned restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center and a Google-backed data center proposal near Palo, among other corporate inquiries.

Currently, staff from across several Linn County departments are working together to tackle the necessary tasks associated with those proposals such as drafting zoning code, identifying necessary contracts and communicating directly with businesses.

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The economic development director will oversee and centralize those processes and be responsible for the majority of communications with businesses on current and future projects in unincorporated Linn County.

The director also will be expected to act as an adviser and networking contact for Linn County’s smaller communities to promote economic development beyond the Cedar Rapids metro.

“We’re facing some unprecedented ordinance writing, and in the process of that, we also are trying to make sure that our small towns are protected when these things like data centers come into the conversation,” said District 3 Supervisor Brandy Meisheid. “So having another set of eyes on it (with the economic development position), … I’m supportive of that need.”

The county will soon post the position on its regular job site for applicants’ review. Per a preliminary job description, candidates are expected to have a bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, planning, finance or another related field.

Applicants should also possess at least six years related to economic development, project management and/or community development efforts.

The minimum to midpoint pay range for the position is $116,230 to $140,562 per year. The majority of the funding for the position will come from reallocation of funds previously earmarked for a long-empty role in the county’s public health department.

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