CEDAR RAPIDS, IA—DECEMBER 10, 2019—EDC, Inc., a not-for-profit business accelerator based in Cedar Rapids, is pleased to announce the addition of five new members to its Board of Directors: Dr. Lori Sundberg, President of Kirkwood Community College; Ian Smith, Vice President of Hillcrest Holdings; Chad Pelley, Business Development Manager for Ahmann Companies; Tom DeBoom, Member at Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC and Bryant Andrus, Wealth Management Trust Advisor at U.S. Bank. The five new members join the existing board of 17 area business professionals. The full list of EDC Board Members can be found here.
“We are pleased to announce these new additions to our Board of Directors,” said Curt Nelson, President & CEO of EDC, Inc. “These five new members bring a mixture of business experience and expertise as well as perspective from the next generation of leaders in our community. This perspective will be critical in shaping our region’s future state.”
A former small business owner herself, Lori Sundberg enrolled in college as a non-traditional undergraduate student to pursue a degree in economics. Along the way, she found a new calling in education and became the fifth president of Kirkwood Community College in 2018 after leading Carl Sandburg College for nearly a decade. Dr. Sundberg holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Western Illinois University and a Doctor of Business Administration from St. Ambrose University.
Ian Smith is part of a third generation Cedar Rapids-based family enterprise that operates in the transportation, insurance, IT services, and real estate industries. Smith’s family’s legacy business, CRST International, is one of the nation’s largest transportation companies. Smith has served on the board of directors of Hillcrest Holdings since 2012, and assumed the executive role of Vice President in 2017. Smith received his MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business where he graduated with distinction. He earned his BA in Economics from Wesleyan University. Smith is the Chairman of the Board at SouthGate Companies, he also serves on the board of directors of CRST International, and Converged Security Services.
With an eye for development and re-vitalization of key areas within the Corridor, Chad Pelley currently serves as Business Development Manager for Ahmann Companies. Pelley has managed projects that include comprehensive mixed-use residential, commercial and industrial developments. Pelley graduated from the University of Iowa in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Pelley joined Ahmann Companies in August 2013 as Business Development Manager for both Fusion Architects, Inc. and Compass Commercial Services.
Thomas DeBoom is a business and transactional attorney with Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC, where he has practiced for over 20 years. DeBoom’s work focuses on representing clients in mergers, acquisitions and sales, securities, equity finance, business contracts and consulting, and employee benefits. DeBoom graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law, JD, with distinction.
Bryant Andrus is currently Vice President, Trust Managing Director for U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Cedar Rapids. Andrus has over a decade of experience building and restructuring lines of business by helping them expand internationally and create operational efficiencies. He recently completed a six-year engagement with KeatsConnelly in Calgary, Canada. While in Canada, Andrus was Chair of the Board for the American Chamber of Commerce, Canada Western Chapter, where he rebuilt the Chamber from the brink of insolvency and forged relationships with the US Consulate and US Trade. Andrus holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Southern Utah University and is currently working towards his Master of Science in Finance at Georgetown University.
About the EDC
The Entrepreneurial Development Center was incorporated in 2003 as a community-sponsored, non-profit business accelerator. The company provides economic growth through the development and expansion of entrepreneurial enterprises and has successfully assisted more than 1,000 Iowa-headquartered businesses. In its first 16 years of operation, EDC entrepreneur members have raised and employed over $428 million in capital, generated over $1.8 billion in new revenue and over $529 million in new wages paid. For more information please visit www.edcinc.org. On social media, follow Entrepreneurial Development Center on Facebook, LinkedIn and on Twitter (@edcinc123).
