Capital Crossroads Announces Roadmap for Central Iowa’s Future
Jan. 10, 2024
New Roadmap:
Capital Crossroads has announced the next regional vision plan, Central Iowa’s Roadmap to Opportunity and Prosperity for All. Through robust community input, research and data review, the Capital Crossroads Roadmap identifies six critical outcomes.
- Regionalism: Collaborating among communities to address challenges and promote economic development.
- Equity & Inclusion: Working to ensure all people have equitable access to resources, opportunities and benefits that foster inclusion, prosperity and regional growth.
- Placemaking: Using an integrated and strategic approach to develop public spaces as a regional portfolio to maximize accessibility and promote diverse and inclusive use.
- Workforce Housing: Identifying workforce housing that meets demand, aligns with regional employment and is conveniently located near jobs, ensuring accessible housing options for the workforce.
- Job Growth: Developing a curated network of career pathways that strategically attract, retain and advance top talent globally, fostering ongoing innovation, job growth and a thriving workforce.
- Education: Cultivating comprehensive education and high-quality childcare that prepares the next generation to flourish in the evolving workforce future.
“The Capital Crossroads Roadmap is one of the most collaborative regional plans to date and sets a new standard of collective visioning. I’m looking forward to putting this Roadmap into action and seeing the impact it will make for our future generations,” said Dan Houston, Chairman, President and CEO of Principal Financial Group and Chair of Capital Crossroads Regional Council.
The Capital Crossroads Roadmap aims to amplify, accelerate and build upon existing work carried out across the region, and to honor and align with the priorities, activities and goals captured within those plans and strategies. It is designed to reaffirm a set of regional goals, create new community connections, establish partnership and provide spaces and a timeline to share success and pivot as new challenges arise in Central Iowa.
You can find the full plan on the Capital Crossroads website here.
New Leadership:
Leading this work will be the new Capital Crossroads Executive Director, Kaity Patchett, and the Capital Crossroads Regional Council. Patchett will leverage her expertise as a collaborator and leader as well as her marketing and government experience to build on community vitality and improve quality of life in Central Iowa through the work of the Capital Crossroads Roadmap. Patchett’s first day is January 16, 2024.
New Capital Crossroads Executive Director Kaity Patchett
The Regional Council will serve as leaders and liaisons to the community to help activate and support the Capital Crossroads Roadmap. This group is chaired by Teree Caldwell-Johnson, President of Oakridge Neighborhood Services; Courtney Clarke, Mayor of the City of Waukee; Dan Houston, Chairman, President and CEO of Principal Financial Group; Ben McLean, CEO of Ruan Transportation Management Systems; and Dr. Ian Roberts, Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools.
“We are excited about the regionality of the Capital Crossroads Roadmap. With intentional community engagement, we will be able to bring this initiative to life through a thoughtful and responsive approach that ensures its success, addresses the diverse needs of our communities and provides equitable opportunity and prosperity for all,” said Mayor Clarke and Chair of Capital Crossroads Regional Council.
Long Standing Partnership:
Capital Crossroads is a collaboration of regional organizations, leaders and residents to develop a focused, ambitious and sustainable roadmap for Central Iowa. It serves as a forum to connect diverse stakeholders and unite their efforts across four Capital Crossroads Cornerstones: Economic Opportunity and Prosperity; Community and Cultural Connections; Thriving Neighborhoods; and Youth Investment.
Capital Crossroads creates impact and inspires action by creating a shared regional vision; convening influencers to elevate ideas; catalyzing impactful, large-scale initiatives; coordinating aligned efforts across communities; and celebrating and communicating successes and work in progress.
In 2011 the Community Foundation brought community leaders together to create a dynamic and comprehensive vision to leverage our region's key advantages while addressing challenges. From this Capital Crossroads began. Credited with hundreds of successes, Capital Crossroads has set the stage for what our region can achieve through coordinated efforts. The Community Foundation continues to serve as a key stakeholder and regional council member of Capital Crossroads, leading the way in bringing the community together.