Friday, May 18, 2007
Governor's Office Received 250 Generation Iowa Applications
Office received more that 150 applications in last two weeks
(Des Moines) Today, Governor Chet Culver is proud to announce that more than 250 Iowans between 18 and 34 years old have applied to be on the Generation Iowa Commission. Since January of this year, the Office of the Governor has received more applications for the Generation Iowa Commission than any other board or commission.
The Generation Iowa bill (House File 617) was authored by Iowa’s next generation of leaders in the Iowa House of Representatives as part of a strategy to keep more young people working and living in Iowa.
“I am thrilled by the amount of interest and attention the Generation Iowa Commission has received by Iowans across the entire state,” said Governor Culver. “The interest in this particular Commission shows Iowa’s future is incredibly bright, and young Iowans are optimistic and willing to serve their state.
“I have called for a ‘21st Century Iowa Expedition’ to discover the jobs of the future and find new, creative ways to attract younger generations to this great state. To help lead this Expedition, it is critical that we receive input from younger Iowans, and the Generation Iowa Commission will play an important role. Now begins the hard work of sifting through these qualified applications and choosing the right members to serve on the Commission.”
The Governor’s office has received applications for Generation Iowa from 48 counties fanning across the entire state. The applicants have a diverse racial makeup and are split between Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Over the coming months there will be 15 Commission members appointed by the Governor. In addition, four ex-officio members of the Iowa Legislature will also serve on the Commission.
The bill was drafted by four legislators elected last fall who are all age 30 or under. State Representative Elesha Gayman of Davenport sponsored the bill. Representative Andrew Wenthe of Hawkeye managed and co-sponsored the bill. Representative Gayman said, “I’m hopeful Generation Iowa can help us craft a strategy to stop the mass exodus of young people leaving our state.”
Governor Culver was joined at the April 5, 2007 bill signing ceremony by the freshman legislators and members of Iowa young professional groups who were influential in getting this important bill to the Governor’s desk. At the bill signing, the Governor said, “This new generation is our team and they are our future workforce. As the number of skilled workers continues to drop in this state – an estimated shortage of 150,000 by 2012, it is important we focus on ways to keep young Iowans here.”