The Perry Chamber of Commerce Ambassador program will receive a $1,000 grant through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Rural Leadership Bootcamp Grant, the authority announced Thursday.
Perry is one of 13 Iowa towns to receive the IEDA leadership grants, which provide training, mentorship and funding to rural communities and regions that initiate leadership programs. The bootcamp program is part of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative from 2018.
The Perry Chamber will send three people to a two-day training session for the program, which aims to develop community leaders. The Rural Leadership Bootcamp is open to towns with a population of fewer than 20,000.
The IEDA grant brings a welcome boost to the finances of the Perry Chamber, which saw a significant decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in the chamber’s share of the hotel/motel tax revenues.
Chamber Executive Director Lynsi Pasutti presented a financial report to the Perry City Council Monday that detailed the recent funding trends. The chamber shares the hotel-motel taxes with the city and the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.
