New efforts to recruit people to look at moving to Iowa paying off

MASON CITY — The Iowa Economic Development Authority says their marketing efforts to recruit people to the state and specifically north-central Iowa are paying off.

The IEDA’s “This is Iowa” website allows them to connect with those from out of state looking for new opportunities in exploring a new career, starting a business, or climbing the corporate ladder.

The IEDA’s chief strategic communications officer Staci Hupp Ballard says they can interact with people and steer them in the right direction.  “What we’ve done is connected our marketing to an infrastructure pipeline where we not only capture leads, but we also connect them with information and communities, and by extension employers, based on what they’ve told us they want in a career path, or what they need in a community, or what their hobbies and interests are, what they like to do in their spare time.”

Ballard says their efforts started on June 17th and they were hoping for 1000 people in the first year to start the inquiry process through the website, but that goal was accomplished in three weeks and there have been many leads.  “We have captured 5800 leads from all across the country. This area alone has leads from 42 states. The number of leads who are requesting to connect with our communities is just at about a third of them.” She says there have been six people so far that have participated in the program and have moved to Iowa. “They have come from New Mexico. They have come from California. They’ve come from Arizona, so far-from places.”

Ballard spoke at the “State of North Iowa” event held today at Mason City High School hosted by the Mason City Chamber of Commerce.

You can hear more of Ballard’s comments by heading to the audio player below.