Find our current and past year's annual reports and watch our 2025 annual meeting.
As we look to the future, we remain grateful for the relationships and shared purpose that fuel our work.
Together, we are building a region where opportunity is real, partnerships are strong, and where, more than ever YOU can be great here.
Dear Friends and Partners,
It has been an honor to serve as Chairperson of the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation Board of Directors this past year. I’m pleased to share highlights from our organization’s work in this year’s Annual Report—especially meaningful as our 40th year of impact draws to a close.
In my decade of service on the Greater Dubuque Development Board, I’ve been continually inspired by a talented and dedicated staff, a respected and forward-thinking board, and dynamic partnerships that have helped shape Greater Dubuque into a vibrant and competitive region. This year has been no different. Thank you to all our public- and private-sector partners for engaging, investing, and committing to collaborative solutions. Your diverse perspectives have made it possible to accomplish more together and move us toward even
greater progress.
Recognizing the need for a strong vision and strategic direction in today’s complex environment, we were excited to finalize a new five-year strategic plan, approved by the Board in March. Developed with extensive input, the plan identifies four clear priorities: business support and attraction, population growth, regional collaboration, and organizational excellence. These priorities—supported by a refreshed mission and updated vision—will guide us in ensuring our businesses thrive, our communities prosper, and people are drawn to our region by opportunity and quality of life.
This forward-looking work is complemented by meaningful achievements over the past year. Greater Dubuque played a key role in supporting business expansions, job creation, and workforce retention. We hosted the 60th session of Distinctively Dubuque, which has welcomed over 1,400 newcomers since the program’s 2010 inception. We celebrated the near-completion of a $50 million+ private broadband initiative, bringing high-speed fiber access to 100% of businesses and nearly every household in Dubuque.
We also continued our efforts to address county-wide barriers to child care through innovative public-private partnerships—work that earned international recognition with the 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Award from the International Economic Development Council.
As we look to the future, we remain grateful for the relationships and shared purpose that fuel our work. Together, we are building a region where opportunity is real, partnerships are strong, and where, more than ever YOU can be great here.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kay Takes
2024-2025 Board Chair
Greater Dubuque Development Corporation
FY 2024-2025 Annual Meeting