Dennis Plautz, the chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance since its inception about 11 years ago, will retire next year.

His retirement will end about 47 years of service to the community, which began in August 1975 when he joined the Fort Dodge city staff as a planning associate..

Phil Gunderson, chairman of the Growth Alliance board, said Thursday that Plautz “has expressed his desire to retire.”

Plautz said he hopes to be retired by the end of June 2023, but added that he will stay on the job until his replacement is found.

“Dennis has been the CEO of the Growth Alliance since its inception and has brought it from the beginning to today with all the good things that have happened since then including industrial recruiting, housing, workforce recruiting, leadership programs and government collaboration,” Gunderson said.

“Dennis has been just a remarkable leader and the Growth Alliance has been looked to as a leader in the state of Iowa and probably the Midwest,” he added. ” Much of that is due to Dennis and his ability to collaborate and work with everybody across the spectrum.”

Gunderson said a fair and transparent process will be used to find the next CEO.

A nine member search committee has been set up to guide the process. In addition to Gunderson, it includes Leah Glasgo, the Rev. Austin Hill, Kelly Hindman, Luke Hugghins, JP Mansfield, Mike McCarville, John Taets and Jesse Ulrich.

The Growth Alliance board has also voted unanimously to hire Jorgenson Consulting, of Greensboro, North Carolina, to do much of the work of searching for a new CEO. That firm will advertise the position and conduct initial screening of applicants.

Gunderson said the Growth Alliance is seeking “the best person possible, the best fit for Fort Dodge, for the region.”

“We don’t know who that is yet, but we will do everything we can to make that happen,” he said.

Plautz was the city’s director of business affairs and community growth when he was named the acting CEO of the Growth Alliance on Aug. 22, 2011. He was named the first permanent CEO on Dec. 15, 2011.

The Growth Alliance was formed in 2012 when the Development Corporation of Fort Dodge and Webster County and the Fort Dodge Area Chamber of Commerce merged.

Plautz began his career in 1975 as a planning associate for the city. In 1979, he was named city planner. In 1980, community development was added to his responsibilities. Then in 1982, the building inspection department was merged into his office.

He is a native of Pocahontas. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and a master’s degree in planning and landscape architecture from Iowa State University in Ames.