RWD#02 Stephanie Fromm, WCDI (Winneshiek County Development Inc.)

One of our goals of "Rhymes With Decorah" is to highlight people and organizations in our region that are tackling the challenges of our times. When we talk with folks on a state level, the same challenges come up - housing, jobs, workforce, broadband, education - and child care.

Stephanie Fromm is a Decorah "boomerang" who returned to Winneshiek County in 2015 to become the Executive Director of Winneshiek County Development and Tourism, or as many know it (WCDI Winneshiek County Development Inc.)

One of the first challenges that she and her Husband (and Decorah teacher, Zach Fromm) realized was that of an acute shortage of Child Care in Winneshiek County. As part of our interview with Stephanie, you can hear how her first hand experiences helped shape one of WCDI's major economic development initiatives - the Sunflower Child Development and Discovery Center.

This new facility is in final planning and fundraising stages (as of June 2022) with real estate and bidding processes in place. Once completed, the project will offer up "state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor child development and play areas that encourage learning through high quality care, creative design, shared services, and innovative STEAM learning spaces." Pledge a donation to the Decorah Discovery Center to the project, or check out a fantastic video about this project.

Child Care isn't the only thing that Stephanie and WCDI do though (far from it!). Hear all about what WCDI does and why economic development matters for Winneshiek County and NE Iowa, and how she was appointed to the Governor's Growing Iowa Task Force in 2021!

Many thanks to Stephanie for being on RWD, and for all of her work, as well as the work of many partners and board members that help make NE Iowa the amazing place it is.

 

"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.

Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming