Grow Cedar Valley pitches formal county partnership as it cites billions in potential investment
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Summary
Grow Cedar Valley CEO Katie Sousong urged the Blackhawk County Board to consider a formal partnership to align county priorities with regional business attraction and retention work, citing $6.2 billion in potential capital and existing municipal contracts with Cedar Falls (~$70,000) and Waterloo (~$180,000). Supervisors asked for more detail on funding terms and timing before committing.
Katie Sousong, president and CEO of Grow Cedar Valley, told the Blackhawk County Board on Jan. 20 that her nonprofit’s regional economic-development approach could advance the county’s stated priority of business growth and workforce development. "I am Katie Sousong, and I'm the president and CEO of Grow Cedar Valley," she said, outlining five core focus areas: business attraction, retention and expansion, talent and workforce, advocacy and public policy, and regional visibility and collaboration.
Sousong pointed to the group’s recent activity: 38 active external attraction projects representing about $6,200,000,000 in potential capital and some 5,100 potential jobs. She said Grow Cedar Valley conducted 56 retention and expansion visits in the past fiscal year to Blackhawk County–based employers, which together employ more than 4,000 people, and noted the organization helped seven local company expansions over the last decade.
Sousong also detailed existing municipal contracts, saying Cedar Falls holds an annual contract of about $70,000 and Waterloo a multiyear contract of about $180,000. She argued a formal county contract would provide defined priorities, consistent reporting and accountability and leverage private investment to amplify public dollars.
Several supervisors pressed for specifics about what a county commitment would look like. One asked whether other public institutions were making multi‑year commitments; Sousong confirmed Waterloo’s is multi‑year while Cedar Falls’ is annual. Board members raised concerns about committing to five‑year agreements amid an uncertain legislative and budget environment and asked staff to return with pricing and contract options. Sousong offered to provide follow‑up materials and said she would send event details and contact information to supervisors.
The board did not vote on any funding at the meeting. Next steps identified included staff follow‑up on contract terms, circulating event and outreach materials, and providing any requested budget estimates to supervisors for consideration before any formal agreement.