Carroll County Growth Partnership (CCGP) and Carroll Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kimberly Tiefenthaler announced earlier this week that she would be retiring in the spring. Tiefenthaler joined the Chamber and CCGP in October 2021, and her last day with the economic development organizations will be April 1, 2026. She says it was a difficult decision to make the announcement, but Tiefenthaler notes the timing was right.
Tiefenthaler previously worked as the regional director for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and is also a local business owner, Performance Tire and Service. Tiefenthaler says she started her tenure in a challenging economic environment, both locally and nationwide.
Tiefenthaler says those first few months helped determine what the Chamber and CCGP’s priorities would be moving forward, and that would be refocusing on existing business retention and expansion, while still pursuing growth opportunities where possible. One of the key parts of that plan was partnering with the City of Carroll and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) to bring the Downtown Resource Center to conduct an assessment. That group of experts found Carroll has a robust downtown, especially when compared to other rural communities in Iowa, but also identified areas for improvement. Tiefenthaler says they went to work quickly, and those efforts have borne fruit.
Tiefenthaler says there is plenty of work left to do, but she is confident CCGP’s and the Chamber’s staff and members are ready for whatever comes.
CCGP President Mike Franey says working with Tiefenthaler has been a pleasure, and she will certainly be missed when she officially retires on April 1, 2026. He thanks Tiefenthaler for giving them early notice, which will give them time to find a replacement for her.
Tiefenthaler and Franey made their comments on KCIM on Friday morning. Listen to the full interview included with this story on our website.
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