At its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the Greater Dubuque Development Future Leadership Team explored findings from the 2025 Skills Gap Analysis with a presentation by Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming. The annual skills gap analysis, developed in partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College, highlights the skilled talent needs of regional employers along with the demographic trends expected to shape the Greater Dubuque region’s workforce over the next decade.
Leadership team members discussed how the current findings connect to the region’s broader talent challenges, including the need to attract, retain, support, and develop workers across key industries. The conversation emphasized that workforce strategy is not only about filling today’s openings, but also about preparing the region for long-term demographic shifts and future employer demand.
As part of the meeting, the group reflected on the question: “As we look toward the year ahead, what is one bold action or program that could positively impact talent strategies across the Greater Dubuque region?” Greater Dubuque Development staff will combine the group’s feedback with input from other employers and partners, using those ideas to develop innovative talent attraction and retention strategies to drive regional progress.
The 30 members of the Future Leadership Team serve staggered 24-month terms and provide feedback to the board of directors and management team on annual and long-range strategies to achieve the objectives of the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation. One member of the Future Leadership Team serves as a voting member of the Greater Dubuque Development Board of Directors.
Greater Dubuque Development extends its appreciation to the Future Leadership Team members whose terms conclude on June 30, 2026, for their service and thoughtful contributions to the organization's workforce and regional development strategies: Chad Breitsprecker (Dupaco Community Credit Union), Christina Clayton (McGraw Hill | Higher Education), Lisa Demmer (Dubuque Community School District), Staci Duerr (Premier Bank), Tyler Freye (Alliant Energy), Katie Hanten (MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center), Tony Hoefelmeyer (Black Hills Energy), Matt Kramer (MidWestOne Bank), Tucker LaBelle (Clarke University), Jennifer Mond (HODGE), Samantha Reed (Medical Associates Clinic), John Sanchez (Diamond Jo Dubuque), Shara Sparrgrove (Northeast Iowa Community College), and Jack Studier (East Central Intergovernmental Association).
The Future Leadership Team will reconvene on September 2, 2026, welcoming new members approved at Greater Dubuque Development's 2025–2026 Annual Meeting.
View a list of Future Leadership Team members.
For more information about the Future Leadership Team, contact Mandi Dolson, Director of Workforce Recruitment & Retention, at mandid@greaterdubuque.org or Nic Hockenberry, Director of Workforce Programming, at nicholash@greaterdubuque.org. Both can be reached at 563-557-9049.