Region XII Executive Director Rick Hunsaker was elected this week to serve as president of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) during the group’s annual business meeting in New Orleans. Hunsaker previously served as NADO’s first vice president for the last year after being elected in November 2023. Hunsaker says NADO has two main focuses, the first being training for economic development professionals nationwide.
Their other priority is advocacy in Washington, D.C., from working on legislation like the Farm Bill and transportation bills to being a liaison with federal agencies.
Hunsaker says his role as NADO president will require him to work on issues that may seem foreign to rural Iowa, but it also puts him in a position to bring increased attention to local challenges at the highest levels of government.
Hunsaker’s term began immediately following his election this week. He will serve as NADO president until the organization’s 2025 business meeting in a year’s time.
