WEDG head meets with community

WASHINGTON - The new Washington Economic Development Group executive director has been busy getting to know the community.

Mary Audia started as the new WEDG director on Dec. 1. Since then, Audia said she has met with a variety of local officials and businesses.

This week she visited with Washington schools Superintendent Willie Stone, Hills Bank and Trust Vice President Nicole Slaubaugh, Alliant Energy Account Manager Nancy Snaadt and more. In her two weeks, she has met with local businesses.

This week WEDG had its first board meeting via Zoom with Audia.

Audia was hired for the position after former WEDG director David Collins died suddenly in July.

Audia said the amount of work that has already been done in Washington County surrounding economic development attracted her to the job.

'They have worked so hard,” she said. 'The city, the Chamber, the Main Street district, the supervisors, they all seem so cohesive.”

Audia said she could tell the various parts embrace the community and make it successful. It made the job attractive, she said.

Audia, an Iowa native, has a bachelor's degree in business from University of Northern Iowa and a doctorate from Palmer College. She created, operated and sold two of her own businesses. They were both chiropractic businesses, one in Austin, Texas, and one in Coralville, Audia said. Both are still being successfully operated, she said.

'I have seen what it takes to run a business,” Audia said. 'There are so many demands and challenges but also so many rewards.”

Throughout the years, she has worked with various chambers of commerce, Rotary clubs and Lions clubs.

In her conversations with the community and the board, two major areas of improvement have stood at the forefront - workforce and housing.

'They say ‘we can't find enough people to work,'” Audia said. 'Once they do find the people, we need to have them live somewhere.”

Audia said she would love to hear from the community about problems and solutions.

For now, her priority is listening to community members and learning what is wanted or needed. After that phase, Audia said she will make a set of goals.