Sixteen leaders from throughout northwest Iowa have been accepted into the first cohort of Accelerate Siouxland, a regional leadership development program offered by Northwestern College’s Center for Innovation & Leadership. The participants represent a wide spectrum of the region, including business and industry, education, and nonprofits.
“I’m really excited about the men and women who want to advance their leadership skills and use their gifts to make Siouxland an even better place to live and work,” says Josh Van Es, assistant director of the Center for Innovation & Leadership, who will lead the program. “I look forward to helping them become familiar with Siouxland’s vast resources to spark new connections and ideas that enhance the well-being of area residents and their communities.”
Accelerate Siouxland will begin meeting on Sept. 9 and will continue to meet on the second Thursday of each month through April in various locations throughout Siouxland. Participants will engage materials such as Franklin Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” “6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team” and “Unconscious Bias.” Along with this award-winning training material, participants will also hear from area leaders about what makes Siouxland special and how to lead change in their communities. Topics will include government, community development, business/industry, health care, education, agriculture, nonprofits, and faith/values.
Participants include:
Joanie Ahlers – Remsen, Diamond Vogel Paints
Matthew Brossard – Orange City, EZ Liner
Jessi De Vries – Sioux Center, Sekisui Aerospace
Shaylyn Doorneweerd – Lester, Peoples Bank
Tim Holmes – Marcus, Smith Insurance
Benjamin Langton – Orange City, Den Hartog Industries
Cameron McKinney – Orange City, Sekisui Aerospace
Noah Minnick – Orange City, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director
Mike Mulder – Orange City, MOC-FV High School Principal
Heidi Nemmers – Le Mars, Le Mars Chamber of Commerce
Kayla Rensink – Orange City, Interstates
Adam Rosman – Rock Valley, City of Rock Valley
Scott Sigsbee – Sioux Center, Diamond Vogel Paints
Noah Smith – Northwestern College student from Center Point, Iowa
Dawn Spiess – Rock Rapids, Hope Haven
Steven Van Meeteren – Northwestern College student from Sheldon
