T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Longtime local resident and Class of 1998 MHS graduate April McKibbin is the new Marshall County Economic Development Director for the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce. She started her duties Monday.

Although she spent the first six years of her youth in Michigan, April McKibbin has lived in Marshalltown ever since, and the Class of 1998 MHS graduate has gained a deep affection for her community in the almost four decades she’s called it home.

“I am very passionate about Marshalltown. It’s kind of an ongoing joke that I bleed red and blue for the Bobcats,” she said.

After over 15 years working for U.S. Cellular and then owning a flower shop on 13th Street, which she has now transitioned into running for weddings only, McKibbin was recently hired as the new Marshall County economic development director for the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We are thrilled to have April joining our team. Her experience starting and running her own business is going to be a great asset to our organization and the communities we serve,” Chamber President/CEO John Hall said. “Her passion to support the community coupled with her experience made her an ideal candidate for this role, and we are so excited for her to start getting out to our rural communities, learning what growth and development looks like for them and how we can best support them.”

The position was made possible through a three-year contract the Board of Supervisors entered into with the Chamber back in June, and McKibbin’s efforts will be specifically focused on the areas of the county outside of the Marshalltown city limits, whether unincorporated or in the smaller surrounding communities.

“Being a small business owner, I want to see other opportunities for people who want to grow,” she said. “Between my husband and I, we have nine kids (ranging in age from 10 to 24), and it’s important to me to show them the value of community.”

As she looks at the tasks in front of her, McKibbin hopes she can help to grow the county’s aforementioned smaller communities and encourage entrepreneurship with the support and the resources an aspiring business owner might need to get started.

“They don’t necessarily have to live in a bigger city to have these big dreams. They can live in a smaller community and continue to grow,” she said.

Currently, she’s doing some research to identify goals and targets with plans to head out and make connections with local leaders and business owners beginning next week. McKibbin also planned to attend her first Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday morning, introduce herself on a one-on-one basis and become a regular presence going forward.

Her most immediate goals, she said, are to foster relationships and provide support in places where the perception may be that resources are scarce and to create a strong sense of community that will encourage recent graduates entering the job market to choose Marshall County.

With her focus outside of the city limits, she anticipates that the ag business will be a huge part of her job in the future.

“There’s so many local growers, local farmers. There’s things that we can do to partner up with them as far as growing some business relationships as well and seeing some different sides of business that they might not recognize,” McKibbin said.

When she’s not working, McKibbin is all about giving her time back through organizations like the Bobcat Booster Club, the Assistance League of Marshalltown, the After Prom Committee and coaching youth soccer and dance, to name a few.

“In order to know what’s going on, you have to get involved,” she said.

McKibbin can be reached at amckibbin@marshalltown.org. The Chamber office is located at 34. W. Main St.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.