Announcement: September 7, 2011
The three boards of directors for the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Priority One and the Downtown District have approved and signed a letter of intent to unite under one new organization.
A nine-member "Unification Council" has been appointed with three members from each of the three boards to begin formalizing the new organization including name, bylaws and mission.
According to the letter of intent, Dee Baird, Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce president/CEO and president of Priority One, is expected to serve as the CEO of the new, combined organization. Doug Neumann, Downtown District President/CEO, is expected to serve as Executive Vice President of the new organization.
The new organization will provide better integration of resources for economic development, increased public policy coordination and a more unified voice for local and regional efforts.
We believe that together we are stronger, and that this unification will bring us closer to our goal of being one of the top economic growth areas in the country. We will maintain our focus on a strong Cedar Rapids downtown, within a healthy, growing regional approach to economic development.
We are excited to roll this concept out to you, our members, investors and partners, and we will continue to provide communication on our progress.
We sincerely thank you for your continued support.
Tom Anderson Chair, Downtown District
Nancy Kasparek Chair, Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
Chuck Peters Chair, Priority One
