Leadership Iowa Convenes in Perry for Final Session Focused on Rural Vitality

PERRY, Iowa - Forty leaders representing communities across the state are gathering in Perry for the final session of the 2025-26 Leadership Iowa program, Iowa's premier issues-awareness program hosted by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Foundation.

During their visit to Perry, participants will delve into the topic of rural vitality and the opportunities and challenges facing Iowa's rural communities.

The session began Wednesday evening with a guided downtown art tour and welcome dinner, highlighting Perry's culture, history, and community pride.

On Thursday, participants will hear from local leaders and community stakeholders during a panel discussion on collaboration and community response featuring Eddie Diaz of DMACC, Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh, Matt McDevitt of Raccoon Valley Bank, Lynsi Pasutti of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, Sven Peterson, Perry city administrator, Rachel Wacker of the Greater Dallas County Economic Alliance, and Clark Wicks of Perry Community School District. Additional discussions will examine housing and rural development, followed by a tour of Osmundson Manufacturing and remarks from President and CEO Heather Bruce.

The afternoon will include a statewide rural resources panel featuring Deb Lucht, retired general manager of Minburn Communications; Bill Menner of the Iowa Rural Development Council; Liesl Eathington Siebert of the UNI Institute for Decision Making; and Sacha Wise of Empower Rural Iowa, culminating in a keynote address from Aaron Putze of the Iowa Soybean Association.

On Friday, the focus shifts to rural healthcare and innovation at Percival Scientific, where participants will hear from industry experts and tour the facility. The three-day Leadership Iowa session is sponsored by Wellmark, Raccoon Valley Bank, Perry Economic Development, Van Wall Equipment, ATW Training Solutions, Guthrie County REC, IADG Community Foundation, McKee RV, Percival and TCA Tri-County Ag. This year's presenting sponsors of Leadership Iowa are EMC Insurance and John Deere.

More information about Leadership Iowa, including a list of 2025-26 participants and host communities, is available online at www.LeadershipIowa.com.