Lisa Shimkat is new member of Iowa Economic Development Authority Board

Lisa Shimkat,

AMES, Iowa – America’s Small Business Development Center Iowa (SBDC) is pleased to share that Lisa Shimkat, America’s SBDC Iowa State Director, has been appointed by Governor Kim Reynolds to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board. The four-year appointment begins in May 2019.

The IEDA Board is appointed by the Governor and acts on administrative rules, approvals to contracts, applications for state incentive programs, among other items. In addition to the 11 appointed members, as well as six ex-officio members, comprised of four state legislators, one president of a private college or university, one president of a community college and a Board of Regents representative, are part of the board.

Lisa Shimkat is the State Director of the Iowa SBDC. The network has 15 centers across the state that provide business counseling for entrepreneurs in all areas of starting, operating and expanding a business, including utilizing existing community loan programs in partnership with banks and federal programs.

Lisa has an MBA from Iowa State University, is a Certified Business Advisor from University of Toledo, and has also obtained Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification through the National Development Council.  She served on the Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies through 2017. She currently is a member on the Fort Dodge School Board and has served on numerous boards and commissions. She also helped found a local Young Professionals group, a group to create networks for young professionals and help develop a sense of ownership within their community.

America’s SBDC Iowa is an outreach program of Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business and the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations. Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, Hotline 515-294-1222, email eooffice@iastate.edu.

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, America’s SBDC Iowa has 15 regional assistance centers located strategically across the state. Since program inception in 1981, the SBDC has helped Iowa businesses and entrepreneurs through no fee, confidential, customized, professional business counseling and practical, affordable training workshops.

For more information on America’s SBDC Iowa programs or services, call (515) 294-2030 or visit www.iowasbdc.org, https://www.facebook.com/AmericasSBDCIowa, or https://www.twitter.com/IowaSBDC.

Contacts:
Stacy Dreyer, America’s SBDC Iowa, 515-294-5595, sdreyer@iastate.edu
Lisa Shimkat, America’s SBDC Iowa, 515-294-2030, lshimkat@iastate.edu