Dear Iowans,

It has been an honor to serve as Chair of the Vision Iowa Board, now in its ninth year of existence. As one can see in its impressive list of over 350 projects, the Vision Iowa program has been a resounding success with projects that have helped change the face of communities throughout the State. We are proud that we have been able to successfully fulfill the Governor’s vision for the program with this broad geographic distribution of economic impact.

The Vision Iowa program is all about partnerships—partnerships between the public, private, and non-profit sectors; and partnerships between state and local government. The partnership model of the Vision Iowa program goes beyond the simple function of distributing state funding to local communities. Our funding of local projects requires commitment, vision, and comprehensive planning by individual communities. Vision Iowa leverages this local investment of financial and human resources into projects that have strong community support and broad impact—on the local, regional, and state level.

In 2010, the Vision Iowa Board will build upon our successes to position ourselves for economic recovery. We know, through experience, that when we work with communities to realize their local visions for their futures, we not only strengthen local communities, but we help make Iowa more economically successful. Vision Iowa’s strategic leveraging of funds—through our Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) and River Enhancement Community Attraction and Tourism (RECAT) programs—will provide important investments in vertical infrastructure in these challenging economic times.

I thank my fellow board members and the Vision Iowa staff for their commitment to our work. Their enthusiasm, dedication, and leadership enable Vision Iowa to work efficiently and effectively to serve Iowans. I also want to thank my predecessor, Andy Anderson, for his leadership for four years prior to my appointment. Andy’s leadership is still felt in our deliberations.

I appreciate the opportunity to serve the State as part of this important program and look forward to partnering with each of you on your next community project.

Sincerely,