The Iowa Rural Development Summit is Scheduled for Early April

Registration is open for the 7th annual Iowa Rural Development Summit, scheduled on April 11-12 at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center in Ames.

The 2023 Rural Summit will feature keynote addresses from Danielle Nierenberg and Carrie Henning-Smith.

Nierenberg founded Food Tank, a nonprofit organization focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. She won a Julia Child Award in 2020 for her work. She will be the opening speaker on Tuesday, April 11.

Henning-Smith is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the UM Rural Health Research Center and Rural Health Program. Her work focuses on health equity for rural residents, with particular attention to structural barriers to health and social well-being. She will provide the closing keynote on Wednesday, April 12.

Once again this year, rural communities are encouraged to bring a three-person team to the Summit. In previous years, team attendance has proven to generate post-Summit momentum for communities using this approach. Three-person community teams can register online at a special, discounted rate. Interested individuals are also welcome to register and attend.

The Summit is sponsored by the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC), a public-private statewide non-profit that works to support small towns in addressing issues such as housing, broadband access, and business and leadership development.

To register or learn more about the Summit, visit the Iowa Rural Development Council's website.