AMES — Iowans interested in issues vital to rural communities are invited to attend the 2023 Iowa Rural Summit, organized by the Iowa Rural Development Council. The event will be held on April 11th and 12th at the Gateway Hotel and Convention Center in Ames, Iowa. Registration costs are discounted for community teams of three. Others encouraged to attend include individuals and college students interested in rural issues and economic development.
To register for the event as an individual, a team, or a student, visit www.iowardc.org/summit. The cost for a three-person team is $210. Individuals can register for $200 and students for $25. The registration fee includes admission to all Rural Summit events, opening reception on Monday evening, breakfast on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and lunch on Tuesday.
Featured speakers include Danielle Nierenberg and Dr. Carrie Henning Smith.
Danielle founded Food Tank, a non-profit highlighting how hunger, obesity, climate change, unemployment, and other problems can be solved by more research and investment in sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Smith is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota whose work is focused on disparities in health, social well-being, and access to care, especially for older adults and rural residents.
“We’re looking forward to our second Summit at the Gateway Hotel and Convention Center in Ames,” explains Mark Reinig, Iowa Rural Development Council President. “Last year’s Summit brought together nearly 400 Iowans, and we hope to see more attend this year.”
Pre-Summit events on April 10 include rural site visits to Ogden’s Legacy Initiative, Power Pollen in Ames, and Hawkeye Molding in Roland. The Rural Housing Readiness Assessment Conference, sponsored by Community and Economic Development at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and IEDA will be held at the Gateway Hotel and Convention Center, Monday, April 10 from 10 AM-3 PM pre-register here (https://tinyurl.com/5aehrxvy). A pre-Summit reception will be held at the Gateway Hotel beginning at 5 PM.
Premier sponsors for this year’s summit include the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa initiative, ITC Midwest, Iowa’s Small Business Development Centers, D.A. Davidson, the IADG Community Foundation, and Grinnell Mutual.
The Iowa Rural Development Council was formed in 1992 as part of a Presidential Executive Order. Today a broad range of public-private partners supports its focus on empowering small towns and building capacity for rural leaders.