Kathy has more than ten years of contracting-related experience in construction and consultant contracts and in sponsored research. In her duties as Manager, Contract Administration at FPM, she leveraged contract administration skills to oversee over $100M in annual expenditures and ensure compliance for federally-funded projects up to $40M. Kathy works with Iowa companies to develop … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News: Meet Kathy McKown
Author: gmallen
Best Practices in Selling to Iowa’s Regent Universities
Exploring Best Practices for Engaging with State/Regent Universities Being well-prepared and strategic is crucial before approaching a State/Regent University with your products or services. Here are some refined practices to enhance your approach: In-depth Research: Delve into the university’s strategic goals, active initiatives, and existing contracts. Regularly check their websites for details on current contracts, … Continue reading Best Practices in Selling to Iowa’s Regent Universities
Annual Business Analytics Symposium draws big crowd in Des Moines
Nearly 450 people attended the 2024 Business Analytics Symposium, held on April 2 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines. The annual event is hosted by the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business. Iowa’s premier analytics event brought together industry leaders and analytics professionals from some of the nation’s leading … Continue reading Annual Business Analytics Symposium draws big crowd in Des Moines
Making it Happen in a Man’s World
With a career of more than 40 years in the manufacturing industry, I can look back now and see that I was greatly influenced by my father, who worked for an engineering firm. He shared his vast mechanical know-how with me. The two of us worked on many projects together, including rebuilding my car’s engine … Continue reading Making it Happen in a Man’s World
Q & A with Steve Wilson
In Iowa’s competitive job market, enhancing the leadership capabilities of a company’s management team is crucial for drawing and keeping the best manufacturing professionals. Local enterprises must maximize the productivity of their existing workforce. To aid in this endeavor, CIRAS has appointed Steve Wilson as a dedicated project manager, who will assist Iowa companies in … Continue reading Q & A with Steve Wilson
Disaster Contracting in Iowa
Every year, without fail, there are disaster declarations in Iowa and other states, and our APEX team helps businesses prepare to do business with the government to help in recovery efforts. Our goal is to prepare your business now to be able to respond to disaster contracting opportunities in the future. Below are some basic … Continue reading Disaster Contracting in Iowa
ISU graduate’s engineering expertise helps patients recover from brain injuries
AMES, Iowa – For Cassandra Swacker, engineering is a way to help people. Majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in biomedical engineering at Iowa State University equipped Swacker with the skills to design and manufacture personalized utensils and devices for people with traumatic brain injuries. Her quest to help others through engineering began while she was in high school, … Continue reading ISU graduate’s engineering expertise helps patients recover from brain injuries
2024 Innovation at Work: Industry engagement supports local economies
By Angie Hunt, News Service Lunch break is ending and the rhythms of the manufacturing floor at Stellar Industries begin to pick up as forklifts deliver materials from one point of assembly to the next and welding sparks illuminate the frames of service truck bodies. The individual rhythms are distinct and yet flow together in a … Continue reading 2024 Innovation at Work: Industry engagement supports local economies
New Opportunity for ILC Members
We are excited to announce a new collaborative opportunity for ILC members. Starting July 1, 2024, CIRAS will assume the mission of the Iowa Sustainable Business Forum (ISBF). This integration will provide ILC members access to enhanced sustainability and process improvement programs; we believe continuous improvement and sustainability are inherently interconnected and complement each other … Continue reading New Opportunity for ILC Members
Join us for the 15th Annual Midwest Government Contracting Symposium
The IA-IL Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) is hosting the 15th Annual Midwest Government Contracting Symposium and Matchmaking event on May 21st and 22nd 2024 at Vibrant Arena in Moline, IL to give Defense Contractors working in our region valuable resources and opportunities in this field. Recent world events (State-sponsored Cyber-attacks, The … Continue reading Join us for the 15th Annual Midwest Government Contracting Symposium