Deb Brown, IOM, Chief Success Officer, Community Engagement/Community Development

Deb Brown, who serves as Chief Success Officer for Community Economic Partners/National Travel Center and participates in engagements, has a long and varied career that has taken her from a small town in Iowa to a leading, well-known professional role who has helped countless communities succeed. As a result of work in nearly 80 small towns and cities, and rural communities across the country, Deb has become one of the best “on the ground” engagement communicators there is.

During site visits, working with municipal officials and leading conversations with the diverse collection of officials and residents who make up communities, she works to really hear and understand their needs, aspirations, challenges, and desires as the starting point for any plan. On-the-ground immersion visits are conducted to capture the essence of the place through images and videos and to identify opportunities to advance the economy. Deb knows firsthand the power of transforming small towns into thriving communities from on-the-ground experience, having served as the Director of a Chamber of Commerce in a community where, after a large manufacturer closed and moved, 2,000 people in a town of 8,000 were out of work. She also served as tourism director in another small town. Deb expanded her skills in bringing towns to greater economic prosperity through a Tour of Empty Buildings, where interested individuals, developers, and others walk through empty buildings to lease or sell them as efficiently as possible.

She has also spearheaded numerous programs that empower small businesses, elevate customer service, revolutionize marketing strategies, and drive economic development. Deb is the cofounder of SaveYour.Town and has been serving rural communities for over ten years, including keynoting at national and local conferences and visiting small towns for onsite work with leaders. She is well recognized as a rural specialist online and often contributes to publications, articles, panels, and more. She is currently teaching business retention and expansion in a summer program at the University of Alabama.

Education

  • History Studies, Luther College and Iowa State University
  • Four-Year Institute of Organizational Management (IOM) Program, US Department of Commerce
  • Landmark Education Leadership Courses, Ongoing

Memberships, Recognition

  • Leadership Iowa
  • Ag Urban Institute Agricultural Development and Community Leadership
  • Rural Advisory Team, International Economic Development Corporation
  • Board Member and Officer, MS City Civic Organization
  • Board Member and Officer, Legacy Learning Boone River Valley
  • Targeted Certified Business, Iowa
  • Structured Support for the Guard and Reserve Hero2Hired Program
  • Advisory Board Member, Iowa Central Community College
  • Board Member and Officer, Help Entertain and Restore (HERO)

Publications

  • From Possibilities to Reality: Save Your Small Town Workbook