Meet Tiffany Coleman of the Greater Des Moines Partnership
New Member Spotlight
Meet Tiffany Coleman, MBA, CEcD, Economic Development Project Director at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, a regional chamber and economic development organization serving central Iowa, and one of PDI's newest members.
In her role, Tiffany works across several traditional areas of economic development, including business attraction, business retention and expansion, and community development. She also holds the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation from the International Economic Development Council.
Like many people in the profession, Tiffany's path into economic development wasn't exactly planned.
“I applied for a part-time position in an economic development office. During my interview, I fully admitted I did not know what economic development was, probably not the best interview practice."
Fortunately, the interview went well. "The executive director offered me the job and told me I would either love it or hate it, there usually was not any in between. Here I am three decades later." After 30 years in the field, Tiffany remains motivated by the impact economic development can have on communities across Iowa.
"What excites me most is knowing that the work we do helps create opportunities for Iowa families. Whether it's supporting an existing business or helping attract a new employer, economic development is ultimately about creating jobs and strengthening communities and I'm happy to be a part of it."
Tiffany recently returned to economic development after spending eight years working for a startup manufacturing company. Joining PDI was one of the ways she hoped to reconnect with the profession.
"I knew when I was hired at The Partnership that being a member of PDI would help me quickly get back up to speed on industry best practices and stay current on legislative and policy issues affecting economic development."
She also recognized that many former colleagues had changed positions or retired during her time away, making PDI a valuable opportunity to rebuild connections and establish relationships with new industry peers.
Looking ahead, Tiffany is most interested in strengthening relationships with fellow members, learning from the innovative work happening across Iowa, and sharing ideas that help all communities better serve their residents. One theme that comes up repeatedly in Tiffany's work is the power of collaboration.
"Partnerships and collaboration should not be underestimated."
She points to recent regional efforts as examples of what can happen when organizations, communities, and stakeholders work together toward a shared goal. One example is Corteva's decision to relocate its seed business headquarters back to Iowa, a project that involved collaboration among organizations including the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, America's Cultivation Corridor, Iowa State University, Polk County, the City of Johnston, and numerous central Iowa communities.
She also highlights the Newton Rail Park's recent Iowa Certified Site designation, which required partnership among the City of Newton, Jasper County, Iowa Interstate Railroad, Alliant Energy, and other stakeholders.
For Tiffany, those successes reinforce a lesson she has learned throughout her career. "While sites, infrastructure, and incentives all matter, the willingness to collaborate is often what sets successful communities apart. Strong partnerships create stronger communities, and when organizations, local governments, and businesses work together with a shared vision, they can achieve outcomes that would be difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish independently."
Tiffany welcomes connections with fellow PDI members on any area of economic development, as well as conversations around professional development. The best way to reach Tiffany is at TColeman@DSMPartnership.com, by phone at 515-286-4956, or on LinkedIn.
