Iowa Association of Councils of Governments

10/09/2026

Director Debi Durham joined fellow leaders at today’s ICOG Directors’ Retreat at The Warrior Hotel in Sioux City, Iowa, where we shared insights about the important work being done across our regions and explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration with Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority.

10/09/2026

The ICOG Board of Directors kicked off our Directors' Retreat with dinner last night at Buffalo Alice in Sioux City.

A great evening of camaraderie, conversation, and preparation for tomorrow's retreat.

Looking forward to a productive day ahead!

10/08/2026

Our October 2026 newsletter is now available!

Check it out on our website: https://vist.ly/4xmju

10/06/2026

Meet Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC)! 👋

Serving the communities of Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek, UERPC is a regional leader in planning, housing, transportation, and community development.

Team Size: 15 dedicated staff members

2025 WINS 🏆
- NADO Excellence in Regional Transportation Award – Charging Up Rural Iowa; EV and Charging Infrastructure Planning in Northeast Iowa
- 2025 Impact Award from NADO – UERPC’s Child Care Solutions Fund

COMING IN 2026 📆
UERPC is excited to work on a Driftless Water Forum on November 19 in Edgewood, Iowa!

This will bring together local governments, water operators, farmers and rural landowners, watershed and conservation organizations, county staff, researchers, and other regional partners from an 11-county Northeast Iowa area.

The Forum is intended to move beyond individual conservation practices or single-sector discussions and instead focus on the connections among public water supplies, private wells, surface water, agriculture and land use, watershed conditions, and community infrastructure. The goal is to help participants better understand the water-quality concerns, responsibilities, and challenges different groups are facing, and to identify connections that can inform stronger regional coordination and future action.

The agenda is still evolving, but is likely to revolve around four or five sessions:
- Local Reality – Regional geology and water movement, source-water vulnerability, public water systems, private wells, surface-water conditions, monitoring, and information gaps.

- Water from Where We Sit – A moderated conversation with farmers, community representatives, watershed and conservation professionals, and others about how water-quality issues show up in their work, who they interact with, and the challenges and opportunities they see from their different roles.

- From Concern to Action – Local case studies showing how communities, landowners, conservation organizations, and technical partners have responded to water-quality concerns.

- Small-Group Strategy Labs – ISU Extension-facilitated discussions to identify practical near-term opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.

- Implementation Pathways and Next Steps – Resources, technical assistance, source-water protection planning, funding pathways, and other ways participants can move ideas forward following the Forum.

UERPC is also in the process of developing sponsorship opportunities for organizations and businesses interested in supporting the Forum. We’ll have more information on that available soon and would be happy to share it with you once it is ready.

FUN FACT ✨
One of the many cool unique features is Iowa's only known wild elk herd, which is found in the northeastern part of the state.

09/28/2026

09/14/2026

MIDAS Council of Governments is hiring! Check out the new open position.

https://vist.ly/5ifh7

09/11/2026

A big thank you to Ali DeMersseman, Angie Martinez, and Daniel Kojetin with the Economic Development Administration for joining our Board meeting today and sharing updates on EDA programs and initiatives! 😀

We appreciate your partnership and support of our communities.

09/10/2026

Last week, ECICOG attended the MINK Conference in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The MINK Conference brought together regional leaders from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas for one impactful multi-state event.

ECICOG’s own Jessica Walker was a panelist for the session, “From Strategy to Action: CEDS, Annual Work Plans, and Technical Assistance.” Jessica shared ECICOG’s experience developing Envision East Central Iowa, our region’s digital Community Economic Development Strategy, and how we are using the platform to move beyond planning and toward implementation.

Envision East Central Iowa provides a dynamic way to communicate the CEDS, track strategic priorities and progress, connect annual work plans to the larger regional vision, and help stakeholders see how individual actions contribute to the region’s overall economic development goals. The Digital CEDS is helping ECICOG turn strategy into action making it easier to measure and communicate progress along the way. Check out the plan here: https://www.envision-eastcentraliowa.org/

Thank you to the MINK Conference organizers and our fellow panelists for a great conversation about how regional organizations can make their CEDS more useful, dynamic, and actionable!

09/09/2026

Meet the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA)! 👋

Serving the communities of Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, and Jackson, ECIA is a regional leader in planning, transportation, transit, housing, economic development, community development, and homeless response and prevention.

Team Size: 74 staff (including RTA Drivers)

2025 WINS 🏆
- New Strategic Plan with updated mission, vision and values.
- New Executive Director, Mae Hingtgen
- Conducted an internal technology integrations study with planned implementation throughout 2026

COMING IN 2026 📆
ECIA is implementing a refreshed brand. After two decades with the previous brand, ECIA worked with a marketing company to refine brand narrative and imagery to ensure it reflects the agency’s expertise and commitment to our communities.

FUN FACT ✨
ECIA is the only COG in Iowa with an island city – Sabula, Iowa!

09/03/2026