September 22-23, 2009
Purpose: The rapid emergence of Latino entrepreneurs in Iowa over the past five years is evident on main streets all across the state. However, little is known about the impact these Latino businesses have on economic development in their communities. Moreover, there is great ambiguity as to the support these businesses receive at either the state or local levels.
At this roundtable, participants will discuss the economic trends in Latino entrepreneurship on main streets across Iowa, examine current programs and policies and explore the untapped economic potential of Latino entrepreneurships to create jobs and contribute to the economic development of the state of Iowa. Agenda
Context, Perspective an International Perspective
Luis Rico-Gutierrez, Dean, Iowa State University College of Design
Borders and Bridges - CONNECTING IOWA AND LATINO-AMERICA TODAY
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Luis F. Rico-Gutierrez joined the faculty of Iowa State University as dean of the College of Design on July 1, 2009. Rico-Gutierrez previously served on the architecture faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, for 13 years, and as associate dean of the university’s College of Fine Arts for the last eight of those years. From 2001 to 2006, he also was chair of the steering committee for the Studio for Creative Inquiry, a multidisciplinary arts research center within the College of Fine Arts. He had directed Carnegie Mellon’s Remaking Cities Institute since 2006. Rico-Gutierrez is a native of the city of Queretaro in central Mexico. Rico-Gutierrez’s research includes the use of information technology in the design process and grassroots participatory practice in urban design. He chairs the innovation and new directions task force of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans. Rico-Gutierrez earned a bachelor of architecture from Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey – Campus Queretaro, and a graduate degree from Fundacion Rafael Leoz in Madrid, Spain. He is currently working on a Ph.D. in computer-supported urban design from Carnegie Mellon University.
Keynote: Norma Miess, Program Officer, National Trust Main Street Center, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, DC – The Impact of Multi-Culture Entrepreneurs in the United States
Impact of Multicultural Presence in the US with a focus on Hispanic growth
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Norma Miess joined the National Trust Main Street Center in March 2008 after successfully leading downtown revitalization efforts in Elgin, one of the largest and most diverse Main Street programs in Illinois, for seven years. Miess was named among the 25 most influential Latino leaders in the Chicago suburbs in 2006. She currently provides consulting and technical services to downtown revitalization programs in Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Born and raised in a family of entrepreneurs and community leaders in Honduras, Central America, and living in the United States for almost twenty years, Miess’ multicultural background is a solid asset in understanding the increasingly diverse communities in the U.S. Her diversity workshops and on-site services help organizations explore the process of involvement of Hispanic entrepreneurs, and identify common grounds and appropriate tools to cross multicultural barriers. She has been a regular national conference speaker sharing strategies to utilize the assets of multicultural presence in our communities. Miess’ results-driven leadership and personal approach in connecting with people, backed with an education in civil engineering and experience in heritage travel, nonprofit management, and disaster relief, help communities throughout the country implement a comprehensive approach to downtown commercial district revitalization and overall quality of life.
Iowa Trends
A Place to Call Home: What Immigrants Say Now About Life in America
Venus Vendoures Walsh, New Iowan Center Regional Supervisor
The Growth of Latino Businesses and Entrepreneurs in Iowa Communities
Marco Adasme, New Iowan Center Regional Supervisor
Retail Design for Success
Retail Design For Success
Norma de Miess, Program Officer, National Trust Main Street Center, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, DC
Keynote: Jorge Ernesto Espejel Montes, Consul of Mexico, Mexican Consulate, Omaha, NE
Challenges and Perspectives of the Immigration from Mexico to the United States of America
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Jorge Ernest Espejel Montes has been part of the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs since 1982. He currently serves as the Consul of Mexico in the Mexican Consulate in Omaha, Nebraska, a post he has held since February 2009. His previous administrative charges in the Secretary of Foreign Affairs include Consul of Mexico in the Mexican Consulate in Eagle Pass, Texas (2000–2008); Deputy Consul in the Mexican Consulate of McAllen, Texas (1993–2000); OIC (officer in charge) of the Protection Area in the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, California (1990–1993); sub-director of nationalization and naturalization of the General Office of Legal Affairs (1986–1990); and department head of the legal and interagency coordination of the General Office of Protection and Consular Affairs (1982–1986). He was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
Theory to Practice Panel and Discussion
Latino Immigration, Social Capital and Entrepreneurship
Panelist: Ryan Allen, Assistant Professor of Community and Economic Development, University of Minnesota
Bridging Theory and Practice “Immigrants and Revitalization”
Panelist: Gerardo Sandoval, Assistant Professor, ISU Community and Regional Planning
Economic impact of Latino businesses in Iowa
Panelist: Himar Hernandez, ISU Extension Community Development Specialist
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