Jennifer Luengas-Otto, Director of Economic Development for the Ames Regional Economic Alliance and Executive Director of the Nevada Economic Development Council, recently completed a 2½-year fellowship with the national Economic Recovery Corps (ERC). The experience provided Jennifer with a unique opportunity to work on rural economic development in Iowa while learning alongside economic development professionals from communities across the country.
The ERC is a $30 million initiative funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration under the CARES Act and led by the International Economic Development Council. Its goal is to help communities strengthen their economies by connecting them with the talent, expertise and capacity needed to pursue innovative and resilient economic development strategies.
The scale of the program was significant. There were 1,400 applications for the fellowship, with just 65 Fellows selected and placed with organizations across 42 states and two U.S. territories. Jennifer had the opportunity to serve as the ERC Fellow placed in Iowa.
Jennifer worked alongside the Carroll County Growth Partnership in Carroll, focusing on HUB 712, a regional entrepreneurship initiative serving eight rural counties in West Central Iowa. Her work centered on strengthening the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through partnership building, direct work with entrepreneurs and communities, programming and the development of systems that could continue after the fellowship ended.
The fellowship also provided an extensive professional development experience. Through IEDC and its national partners, Jennifer participated in economic development coursework, national conferences and trainings, mentorship, Communities of Practice and peer learning with Fellows and practitioners from across the country. She also completed a capstone project as she wrapped up the fellowship.
The experience has strengthened Jennifer’s professional development and moved her closer to pursuing IEDC certifications, including the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) designations. More importantly, she gained 2½ years of hands-on experience in rural and regional economic development, entrepreneurship, partnership building and program development.
As she concludes the fellowship, Jennifer brings those lessons back to her work in the Ames region and across Iowa. Along with new skills and knowledge, she has built a national network of economic development professionals and gained access to ideas and resources that can continue to benefit the communities she serves.