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The Road to Iowa’s Next Six Great Places
With Clinton, Coon Rapids and Sioux City already partnering with the state, Iowa Great Places has announced it is receiving invitations from Iowans who think their community, region, neighborhood or district should be one of six new great places selected this year.
Iowans who participated in the program last year and others who want to be involved for the first time are encouraged to send a letter of invitation to the state by August 15 at Iowa Great Places, 600 E. Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319, by email to april.ulmer@iowa.gov or by fax at 515-242-6498. The letter of invitation only needs to indicate a place is interested in participating in the program this year. More information is available by contacting Iowa Great Places Coordinator Johanna Maska at johanna.maska@iowa.gov or 515-281-8800.
Iowa Great Places is a Vilsack/Pederson administration initiative that combines state resources and local assets to help Iowans make their communities, regions, neighborhoods and districts great places to live, work and raise a family. Last year, the program began as a pilot project when energetic, creative Iowans in 94 counties submitted 146 invitations to Iowa Great Places.
More than 1,000 Iowans attended forums, worked with coaches and developed their plans. Seventy-four places submitted proposals to the Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board, which selected Clinton, Coon Rapids and Sioux City as the state’s pilot places. Gov. Vilsack signed agreements with the places, making them partners with the state.
Additional information about Iowa Great Places is available at http://www.iowagreatplaces.gov.
