Communities with a higher quality of life experience both higher employment and population growth. Our region’s elected officials and leaders understand this and have invested in improving quality of life initiatives, such as trails, arts and culture, and the exciting nature center/riverfront project.

Understanding that a vibrant business climate also impacts quality of life is in our wheelhouse at the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance. Having a solid business climate attracts customers, employs residents and gives consumers more choice for buying everything from groceries to car service to haircuts.

Reliable infrastructure is a vital part of maintaining quality of life. Infrastructure covers everything from the physical assets like roads and bridges to basic municipal needs like water, electricity, gas and broadband.

Economic progress doesn’t happen without serious investment in infrastructure. Without infrastructure, there are no new neighborhoods, shopping centers, or office parks. City and county leaders have understood the importance of infrastructure and have continued to make improvement where needed and invested where needed due to development projects happening in the area.

Giving people choices is important to quality of life. One of the greatest allies of economic development is the higher education community. Iowa Central Community College is invaluable when it comes to offering options for adult learning, workforce education and skills development. The more well-rounded and capable a local workforce is, the more attractive that location is to outside companies.

What qualifies as quality of life initiatives is constantly changing. Decades ago, the internet and access to it would not have been a part of the conversation and now the city of Fort Dodge is preparing to offer broadband as a new utility, understanding the importance access to the internet plays when people are looking a relocating, and to offer the citizens of Fort Dodge another option.

Economic development and quality of life initiatives happen when collaboration occurs between stakeholders and Fort Dodge and Webster County understand that when one of us wins, we all win.

Dennis Plautz is the chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance.