A new initiative is starting up in Greene County that is picking up where the previous project left off.

The recently retired Food Bank of Iowa CEO and Jefferson High School alumnus, Michelle Book, has been selected by Greene County Development Corporation to be the facilitator for Vision 2030. Book says what Vision 2030 will eventually become is a comprehensive economic development plan for the next five years, that will involve the entire county. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio that there was a Vision 2020 that saw lots of accomplishments that were created and executed, and was completely community driven.

Book says her main role as the facilitator is to bring people together to have important county-wide discussions that will lead to large groups meeting to make a finalized set number of projects. She talks with the leadership of GCDC President Scott Weber and Vice President Kristen Russell, along with the Vision 2030 Steering Committee for getting her started with this endeavor, as she has also done quite a bit of work getting with different individuals in various areas of the county.

“I’d asked to meet with each mayor and city manager (in Greene County), and had those successful meetings with three of those teams to hear what the local communities most need. And then other elected officials, large employers, community volunteers. So, I’m gaining perspective that will help me as we go into the large community meetings.”     

Book is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this initiative and she went against her own advice of not taking on another role after she retired as the CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa at the end of 2024. She describes one of the main reasons she is helping with Vision 2030 was a realization she learned from her days with the Food Bank of Iowa and that was the communities that had willing elected officials, local leaders and volunteers that re-invested back into the communities were prospering.

“And Greene County is certainly one of those that always stood out as a bright star. A community that did re-invest in itself, a county that did support growth and economic opportunity, and I really think this is what I need to do next.” 

Book adds that there will be ongoing updates to the community as Vision 2030 continues to grow and culminate into an actionable plan to make Greene County flourish and thrive for years to come. The large community meetings will happen at the end of April and beginning of May.