It's not about where you start; it's about where you end up. If the "want to" is strong enough, the "how to" will come. Lifestyle > Career These were some of the key takeaways from our recent event, Unleashing Passion, Purpose & Performance in Younger Generations with author, speaker, and CEO Mark Perna. On Wednesday, October 26th, we invited Mark to come and speak to our community on behalf of our Lead UC & Lead UC Youth program. As a gen z expert, Mark taught us some very valuable information on how gen z thinks, and we cannot wait to work closely with our schools to implement Mark's strategies and unleash the tremendous amount of potential in our youth. You can check out Mark's story and read more about him here. On another note, we are officially in our fourth quarter! As most businesses do during this time, we have been reflecting on our year. What a crazy one it's been! Starting out, our executive director for the past 17 years, Wayne Pantini, accepted a new position with a different organization. Thankfully, we have a proactive board, and they quickly named Mindy as the interim director, to keep the organization on target for community development and forging ahead on the strategic goals. In July, we brought Chloe Keefe on board as our client services and marketing coordinator, and she’s been a great addition to the organization. We also have an amazing board of directors and investors that believe in our community and organization - without them, we wouldn't be where we are today. While we miss Wayne and often think about all of the amazing things he has done within his role, we are quite excited for the future of UCDA. On behalf of the UCDA, we would like to thank everyone who has volunteered their time and contributed in any way to our organization. You are what helps Union County be the community in which people choose to live, work, and raise their families. Now, see what all fun things we have coming up to finish the year strong! |
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Event spotlight: just start. We are excited to launch our Just Start Introduction to Entrepreneurship workshop! If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, you'll want to join us for this one-day, action driven workshop on Friday, December 2nd from 9:30 AM-5:00 PM. Lunch provided, and happy hour at Hot Air Brewing to follow. See what one of our Just Start alumni have to say about the workshop throughout the newsletter! |
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Our last uptown cleanup day of the year will be this Thursday November 3rd at 9 AM. Come grab a trash bag at The Roundhouse, and help keep our Uptown looking beautiful! We are getting ready for our second annual Merry Marketplace in Uptown Creston, Iowa. A magical day full of shopping, carriage rides, kid's activities & crafts, sweet treats, and much more. |
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We still have spots available for Christmas Mini Sessions with Kayla Hopson Photography! Call or text Kayla at 515-380-4701 to book your spot. |
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"We chose to move back to Union County when our oldest son was just over a year old. I had been presented with a really great working opportunity to utilize my skills in accounting and law. I was commuting from West Des Moines for almost a year and we decided it would be best to be in Creston. Both of our families are in Creston and we knew that if both of us were going to be working full-time we would really need the help raising our kids. Since moving back, we have both become self-employed with Dustin starting a music lesson studio and then venturing into photography and videography. I took over my dad’s accounting business and also started my own law firm. We love so many aspects of our community: access to great schools for our kids and being able to make a difference. In the small town our kids have a much greater opportunity to play a variety sports and participate in theater, band and music education. The boys have small class sizes at St. Malachy and receive a great education. We have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of local projects which we may not otherwise have in a larger community." - Sam Baird, Willets, Baird & Co. PLC |
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Young Professional Spotlight: Taylor Lynch |
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Taylor Lynch graduated from Mount Ayr Community High School in 2012. She went on to Iowa State University and graduated in 2016 with her Bachelors Degree in Child, Adult, & Family Services and Criminal Justice. Immediately following graduation, she moved back to the area and began her career at MATURA Head Start. She was the Health Coordinator from 2016-2021 before switching roles to become the Family Engagement/Mental Health Coordinator currently. Taylor had the opportunity to go through the Lead UC program, class of 2019, and she now serves on the UCDA Leadership Advisory Council. This program, paired with her passion for serving others, inspired her to get even more involved in her new community of Creston. She is currently coaching her fourth season of Girls on the Run, a program for 3rd-5th grade girls focusing on research-based lessons that blend physical activity with social/emotional development. She also volunteers for EveryStep Hospice either spending time visiting patients or previously baking cookies for the Hospice House. You can find her helping teach dance a couple nights a week at Spotlight School of Dance as well. In her free moments, she loves spending time with her loved ones, baking, cheering on the Cyclones, chasing sunset views, supporting local coffee shops & restaurants, and running or walking the trails around the beautiful Green Valley or McKinley Lake. |
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Click on the banners to see more information! |
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On average we consume over 600 more calories a day than we did in 1970. What
we think of as food has changed with a lot of sugar-sweetened snacks and
processed to-go foods. Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark wants to
help us eat well! Want to find out ways you can make the healthy choice the easy
choice? Check out the list here! |
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Feature a job opening, nominate a young professional, sponsor an Area Business Coffee, or share why your family chose Union County. Email us at Marketing@UnionCountyIowa.com. |
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