Former Austin Mayor to Tour Iowa

For Immediate Release January 22, 2004

DES MOINES, Iowa— Former Austin, Texas Mayor Kirk Watson will be touring Iowa the week of Feb. 3 to inspire and challenge the state’s creative thinkers in the new Creative Economy. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Economic Development are partnering with community and local sponsors to bring this tour to five communities across the state.

Watson will be discussing how communities become economically successful, the transition of cities to "ideopolies," how to address the "brain drain," the essential role of the cultural climate and strategies to continue making strides even with tightened budgets. Watson’s schedule of appearances is:

Tuesday, Feb. 3: Sioux City, speech and roundtable discussion, Historic Martin Ballroom, 7 p.m., no charge. Contact: Roger Caudron, rcaudron@pionet.net.

Wednesday, Feb. 4: Des Moines, luncheon speech, Des Moines Marriott Downtown, 11:30 a.m., $40. Contact Meg Fitz, mfitz@desmoinesmetro.com

Thursday, Feb. 5: Iowa City, luncheon speech, UI Athletic Club, 11:45 a.m., $10. Contact: Josh Schamberger, joshua@icccvb.org

Friday, Feb. 6: Cedar Rapids, breakfast speech, Cedar Rapids African American Museum, 7:15 a.m., no charge. Contact Tom Cilek, tjcilek@hillsbank.com

Friday, Feb. 6: Waterloo, Art as an Economic Engine Conference, Waterloo Center for the Arts, 10 a.m., $40 (conference registration fee). Contact Mary Huber, mary.huber@ci.cedar-falls.ia.us.

Watson was initially elected Austin's mayor in 1997 and re-elected in 2000 with a record 84 percent of the vote. During his tenure, Forbes and Fortune magazines named Austin the best city and best place for business in the United States.

He recently joined forces with the Richard Florida Creativity Group (RFCG) and Catalytix, Inc., www.catalytix.biz, to provide economic development speaking and consulting services. He will be accompanied on the tour by Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Anita Walker and a host of other creative leaders in Iowa.

"Our goal during Kirk Watson’s visit is to advance the conversation of the creative economy in Iowa and continue the momentum from last spring’s ‘Unconference’ featuring Richard Florida," said Walker. "Governor Tom Vilsack has claimed 2004 as the ‘Year of the Arts, Culture and Recreation in Iowa,’ and we want to show him that leaders across the state have a vested interest in making the Creative Economy work for them."

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