Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) is pleased to announce the creation of a management team comprised of the following team members: Cris Gastner has become Senior Vice-President, Erin Sparks has become a Vice-President, Chris Giesen has become a Vice-President, and Jason Passmore has become the Vice-President of Iowa Operations. In addition to the management team, CEDA is pleased to announce that Michelle Vrieze has become Director of Grants.
“The willingness of these individuals to take on more responsibilities will provide a vehicle for succession planning that will ensure that the organization and its business model will be around for generations to come,” states Ron Zeigler, CEDA CEO/President. “CEDA’s strength is in our 16 team members.”
CEDA has been in existence for 27 years successfully providing a variety of services to counties, cities, and community organizations including: economic development staffing, city administration staffing, and revolving loan fund administration; grant writing; community marketing; assisting business start-ups, expansions, and relocations; assisting communities with infrastructure financing; Small Cities Development Program grant applications and administration; assisting communities and developers with senior, work-force, and market-rate housing throughout the region; strategic planning; and other economic development issues.
CEDA continues a relationship as a satellite office of the Small Business Development Center, assisting lending institutions and clients with financial packaging that includes: SBA loans, conventional bank financing and local revolving loan fund processing. CEDA also assists individual entrepreneurs with marketing, business plan creation/updating, cash flow analysis, and training. These confidential, one-on-one services are at no cost to the client.
CEDA, a non-proift 501(c)(3), is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors committed to remaining progressive and proactive in the dedication to our region’s economic development.