Annual Meeting Honors 40th Anniversary, Celebrates Past Year’s Achievements, and Sets Sights to the Future
Recap of Greater Dubuque Development's 2023-2024 Annual Meeting
The Greater Dubuque Development Corporation held our 2023-2024 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at the Q Casino + Resort with over 200 in attendance.
The formal program commenced at 6:00 p.m. with a warm welcome from Rick Dickinson, President & CEO of Greater Dubuque Development, who introduced the 2023-2024 Chair of the Board, Alex Dixon. Alex extended his greetings to the attending investors, community leaders, board members, community members, and distinguished guests. This was followed by a video featuring the exciting updates coming to Schmitt Island thanks to community collaboration and investments by the DRA and the State of Iowa.
After the video, Alex spoke on the transformational regional progress that Greater Dubuque Development has been a catalyst for since our founding in 1984. Alex highlighted the significant strides made in child care access and capacity in the past year thanks to the work of Greater Dubuque Development, Dubuque Initiatives, and our business partners before calling the 2023-2024 Annual meeting to order.
The business meeting starting with the approval of the minutes from the 2022-2023 meeting. Alex presented the 2023-2024 Nominating Committee Report, which included the nomination of the 2024-2025 Board of Directors, Officers, and Executive Committee. The slate of candidates was unanimously approved by the investors and board of directors present. Outgoing board and executive committee members were recognized and thanked for their commitment to the mission of Greater Dubuque Development, alongside acknowledgement and gratitude to outgoing and incoming Future Leadership Team members.
Alex expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve as the Board Chair for Greater Dubuque Development, articulating that “our best days are ahead and we must keep our foot on the pedal and keep developing”. He then introduced Rick Rick.
Rick opened his remarks by acknowledging our team and community tour guides. Rick reflected on Greater Dubuque’s 40-year commitment to economic growth and regional development and the impetus for our founding, drawing comparison to how the work of Greater Dubuque Development could very well adopt the same ‘Gradatim Ferociter’ or ‘Step by Step, Ferociously’ motto of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company. Several videos were introduced, providing first-person testimonials of how our day-to-day efforts create magical outcomes for individuals and businesses in our region. Rick remarked that “economic development isn’t magic, it is challenging, difficult work. But when done right, the outcomes are magical.”
In concluding his remarks, Rick discussed implementation of the organization’s succession plan as he will be stepping down from Greater Dubuque Development as President & CEO at the end of 2025.
Kay Takes, the newly elected 2024-2025 Chair of the Board, closed out the meeting, echoing Rick’s sentiments of gratitude and tenacity while emphasizing Greater Dubuque’s enduring leadership in igniting regional growth and economic prosperity. Looking ahead to the next 40-years of the Greater Dubuque region, she called on current partners, emerging leaders, and new investors to collaborate and engage in propelling the work of our region’s YOU can be great here campaign forward.
“Economic prosperity for our region remains our focus, and it will depend on continued collaboration and partnerships among our current and our ‘up & coming’ leaders on strategic goals that continue to be fully relevant: To grow our labor force, ignite construction investment, raise median household income, increase our population, and decrease our poverty rate,” Kay stated. “Working together to recruit, retain and to create new pipelines of people, who have almost unlimited options but choose to live, work and play in our region; cultivating a community of choice is our current imperative.”
The meeting concluded with the formal adjournment by Kay, closing out a celebration of the past year’s successes that reinforce Greater Dubuque Development Corporation’s pivotal role in the region’s economic and community development for the future.
Greater Dubuque Development would like to thank Alex Dixon for his leadership as our 2023–2024 Chair of the Board. Our work would not be possible without the commitment of our Board of Directors, investors, partners, and the Greater Dubuque region.
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