Final Memo of the Year - Monday Memo 12/20/21
December 20, 2021
First ABI Board Meeting of 2022 on January 12; Legislative Reception Same Day
January 12 is the date for the first meeting of the ABI Board of Directors in the new year. ABI Chair Jack Hasken (Jackson Mfg., Maquoketa) will convene the meeting at the Iowa Events Center (Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center) in downtown Des Moines.
This is the same day as the 2022 ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception and those events immediately follow the board meeting. Over 200 ABI members have already registered for the event and a crowd of well over 400 is expected. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg are invited to appear at the reception, along with hundreds of legislators and state officials. Your participation and interaction with legislators is what makes this event a must for Iowa policy-makers.
Go to the ABI website at Summary - Legislative Briefing and Reception (cvent.com). You’ll find all the information you need and can follow the easy instructions to register right now. Thank you in advance for participating in this very important event. On behalf of Jack and our other ABI officers, I look forward to seeing you in Des Moines on January 12.
Business Record Again Names ABI Board One of “Most Influential”
The Des Moines Business Record is a great member/partner and is one of Greater Des Moines’ most-read publications. In past years, the Business Record has honored the ABI Board of Directors.
I am pleased to report that for another year, readers of the Business Record have again named the ABI Board of Directors as one of the top-25 most influential boards in the Des Moines metro area. This honor will be officially recognized at an event open to the public on January 6. Go here for more information: Book of Lists - Business Record. In the meantime, thank you to the Business Record and its readers and congratulations to you, the members of the ABI Board of Directors!
JD Davis to Represent ABI at Business Record Forum
ABI Vice President Public Policy JD Davis will represent the association at an upcoming legislative forum. The forum, which will be hosted by the Business Record, will be held Tuesday, January 11. JD and a panel of others will preview the 2022 session of the Iowa General Assembly and discuss other issues important to business.
Click here to register for this free virtual event: 2022 Legislative Forecast Registration, Tue, Jan 11, 2022 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite. Congratulations to JD for being selected for the panel and thank you for representing ABI members and Iowa business.
Leadership Iowa Class to Meet, LI Alumni Dinner Coming January 12, LI NEXT Also on Tap
The 2021-2022 Leadership Iowa Class will hold its fourth session January 12-14. As is usual, the January session will focus on state government. Class members will tour the Statehouse, hear from some terrific speakers, and join you for the ABI Briefing and Reception on January 12.
Following the reception on Wednesday the 12th, the ABI Foundation and will again host the Leadership Iowa Alumni Society Dinner and Celebration. This event will take place at the Mainframe Studios near Downtown Des Moines. The event provides a fun and unique dinner networking opportunity for LI alumni. LI’s 40th anniversary will be celebrated and other special things will make the night a lot of fun. Click here Summary - Leadership Iowa Alumni Dinner & 40th Celebration (cvent.com) for more information and to register.
Lastly the LI program will host the latest in a series of alumni programs known as LI NEXT on January 12 and 13. Tours, TEDx-type talks led by LI alums, and much more are on tap for this terrific event. You can find more information here: Summary - LI NEXT (cvent.com).
Three Fantastic Keynotes at ABI Annual Conference
Watch for a more formal announcement down the road, but excitement is building for three fabulous speakers to appear at next June’s ABI Taking Care of Business Conference. Already confirmed keynote speakers are terrific. They include well-known Ford Motor Company Chief Futurist Sheryl Connelly, Carson Group Strategist Scott Kubie, and UnityPoint Health Corporate President and CEO Clay Holderman. In addition, a couple of Iowa celebrities are scheduled to make an appearance at the conference.
You do not want to miss this conference! Finalize your plans now to join ABI Chair Jack Hasken (Jackson Mfg., Maquoketa) and hundreds of your fellow ABI members next June. Click here for more information about the speakers and the conference: Taking Care of Business Conference | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org).
Quarterly ABI Iowa Business Survey Results Show Strong Optimism for Q1 of 2022
The latest ABI Quarterly Iowa Economic Survey has now closed and the results show ABI leaders are quite optimistic about the upcoming quarter. Watch your January meeting for more specific information and THANK YOU for your participation in the survey.
NAM Reports Good News in Economic Data
This week’s Monday Economic Report, published by the National Association of Manufacturers, has already arrived in my in-box and it carries good news. Several economic data points are trending upward and growth in 2022 is expected. As the year winds down, this is good news indeed. As always, if you wish to read the report for yourself, simply reply to this message and I’ll get it to you at once.
Bill Brown Honored
Last Friday, at a very nice event at The Des Moines Embassy Club, former ABI Chair Bill Brown (BrownWinick, Des Moines) was honored. Bill is retiring from the full-time practice of law after a career spanning 45 years. The good news is that Bill tells me he will remain of counsel to the firm and even plans to attend the 2022 ABI conference! Bill’s leadership has been important to the Iowa legal community and vital to ABI. We wish him all the best; congratulations, Bill Brown!
IADG Honors Rand Fisher with Venture Award
You have read in these memos in the past about the Iowa Venture Awards, presented by longtime ABI member Iowa Area Development Group. The awards celebrate economic development projects involving IADG and its member organizations. This year, an additional award was presented.
Longtime ABI Board Member Rand Fisher (Iowa Area Development Group, Des Moines) was recognized for his decades of leadership as IADG President. Rand will retire January 31, 2022 after leading IADG to incredible growth, success, and impact for 25 years. You can view a fun video related to this presentation here: https://www.iadg.com/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-detail/?id=jU%2fZ56peR0uLvx6unU1aeg%3d%3d. ABI sends hearty congratulations and very best wishes to Rand Fisher!
Bill McKim Highlights Power Restoration on WHO-TV
ABI Board Member Bill McKim (Midland Power Cooperative, Boone) was highlighted on WHO television Friday night. In the feature, Bill addresses the hard work the Midland team (and others) are doing to ensure Iowans have power restored following last weeks’ derecho. View the feature here: Midland Power Cooperative working to restore power after Wednesday storm | who13.com.
Congratulations to Bill on the coverage and many thanks to him, Midland Power, and the hard work of other ABI member utilities to restore power accords our state!
ABI Office Closed Thursday, Friday, and December 31; Last Memo of the Year
Due to the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the ABI office will be closed Thursday and Friday (December 23 and 24) and again on the following Friday, December 31. Many ABI staff members, myself included, will be taking some vacation at various times over the next two weeks. Staff members have worked hard and I hope you will join me in thanking them for their work. As always, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day is the one time all year that the ABI Monday Memo is not published. Your next Memo will arrive in your email in-basket on the 3rd of January.
As I noted in the final memo each of the last few years, at this time of year it is natural to reflect on the past 12 months. Much has been accomplished; so much more lies ahead. On a personal level, I know how fortunate I am that you have given me the opportunity to work for you and with some great colleagues. I never, ever take that for granted. I am deeply grateful and I thank you. Very best wishes to you, your family, and your company for the coming year.