Iowa Business Council plans annual 'report card'

DES MOINES - An organization comprised of Iowa's largest employers is planning an annual “report card” that will track progress in positive or negative economic activity.

The Iowa Business Council wil release the initial Iowa Competitivness Index this spring and will be update it annually. Tom Aller, Iowa Business Council chairman, said the organization will regularly review relevant data and information to measure the vital trends of Iowa's business climate and identify areas that need attention.

“The Iowa Business Council recently commissioned a report that assessed Iowa's historical, current and future economic prosperity and growth,” said Aller, president of Interstate Power and Light Co. in Cedar Rapids. “The report, ‘A Competitivenes Blueprint: Iowa 2025,' identified Iowa's current strenths and challenges.

“The challenges include a stagnant, non-diverse and aging population, increasing demand for public services, lack of efficiency in rural and urban government systems, services and programs, limited commercialization of the research and development output of our universities and corporate collaborations, and lack of access to early stage venture capital.

Aller said all levels of government are experiencing increasing debt obligations and diminishing resources. He also noted that Iowa's college graduates continue to leave the state in increasing numbers.

Aller said the Iowa Business Council is issuing five specific “calls to action” to improve the state's competitive position and address many of its challenges over a period of years.

“In the area of economic growth, we need to proactively address issues that promote a strong and vigorous business climate while developing a skilled and diverse work force,” Aller said. “With regard to education, we need to encourage enthusiasm in STEM-oriented course work, activities and related careers. We need to attract, develop and retain a world class work force through bold and aggressive initiatives that spur broad-based business growth and incent work force attraction.”

Aller said Iowa needs to focus on developing a healthy population, setting as a goal to have the healthiest people in the nation. At the present time, obesity and overweight Iowans are estimated to cost the state $1.5 billion annually in increased health care costs.

Aller said the Iowa Business Council plans to continue supporting continuous process improvement in government, He noted that five state agencies began implementing efficiencies within the last decade, but said more work remains to deliver services with even better efficiency.