Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs will partner with the Jackson County Economic Alliance (JCEA), based in Maquoketa, Iowa, to explore strategies for improving coordination and service delivery among key economic development organizations in the county.

In addition to the JCEA, Jackson County is served by multiple Chambers of Commerce and a county-wide Tourism Association—each playing an important role in promoting local businesses, attracting visitors, and supporting community and economic development.

While these organizations share common goals and values, their efforts can sometimes overlap, leading to inefficiencies, duplication of services, or missed opportunities for collaboration. The goal of this project is to assess the current structure of economic and tourism-related programming across the county and to propose a county-wide collaboration model that enhances operational efficiency, improves communication, and better aligns resources to meet the needs of Jackson County residents and businesses.

Students will conduct stakeholder interviews, organizational assessments, and comparative research to examine how similar rural regions have coordinated efforts across economic development, chamber, and tourism organizations. Areas of focus may include governance structures, shared staffing or service models, joint marketing or branding strategies, data and performance tracking systems, and funding alignment.

Key project components will include:

• A mapping of existing roles, services, and areas of overlap among the JCEA, Chambers of Commerce, and Tourism Association
• Stakeholder engagement with staff, board members, business owners, and public officials
• Case studies of collaborative models in comparable counties
• Strategic recommendations for inter-agency coordination, shared services, or structural realignment
• A proposed implementation framework with practical steps for building consensus and initiating change

Deliverables will include a final report outlining findings and recommendations, a visual model of the proposed collaborative structure, and a presentation to community partners. This project will offer students valuable experience in inter-organizational collaboration, institutional design, organizational theory, rural economic development, and strategic planning—while helping Jackson County unlock new potential through stronger alignment and more effective service delivery.