MASON CITY – A political insider informed NIT this afternoon that North Iowa Corridor CEO Brent Willett has resigned.
The source said that Willett is taking a job in Southern Iowa.
The resignation caught several of his backers – people who write checks to the Corridor – by surprise, NIT was told.
Willett, the “face” of economic development in North Iowa since 2011, was hired that year as the “Executive Director” of the North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corporation, sometimes known as the EDC. The outfit takes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from Clear Lake, Mason City and Cerro Gordo county.
Willett began referring to himself as “President & CEO” of the Corridor late last year, after his crowning achievement of landing a couple dozen jobs to Mason City at a call center that pays $9.50 an hour.
The wife would be smart to stay here and let this worthless public employee relocate his behind elsewhere.
I’ll bet new employer knows what fortune 100 company is coming to Clear Lake is, and we as the tax payers don’t know.2 week notice do you need help with packing your belongings, so we can forget you were ever here and take your $9.50 an hour jobs with you.By you self appionted CEO. GOOD LUCK!
Really??????
It is hard to take this site and its esteemed contributors too seriously!
Moerman, Culhane, Brown, Willett…..what do they all have in common?
They have all moved on to bigger and better things compared to what they did here in Mason City.
We have had capable, competent people leading the charge….if it wasn’t so, these people would be moving on to lesser roles in smaller communities with fewer resources.
Time to get on board and support these efforts and quit the…
Yaaa. Southern iowa is not a step up, but nice try. I think he wanted out and he got out. Now his wife has to give up her plum job at niacc. He’s fleeing plain n simple. Trout next.
Brent Willet accepted a job in Des Moines with the Greater Des Moines Partnership, one of the most successful economic development organizations in the state. Moerman went to Ankey, one of the most successful communities in Iowa. He is now in Waukee, one of the most successful communities in Iowa. Dan Culhane went to Ames, one of the most successful communities in Iowa. Curtis Brown went to Ankeny. I am not sure if he is still there are not. Clearly, it was a step down for all 4.
Pretty ignorant comment. Ever been to southern Iowa? Makes NI look like paradise. Of course Willet came from Fairfield. Maybe he’s going home.
If Willett is from Fairfield (or did he just “work” there?), he is familiar with Maharashi School of the Age of Enlightenment and Transcendental Meditation (TM). I lived in Fairfield,and it was a unique experience for Iowa-farmers, meth heads, blue collar townies, and gurus, foreign cuisine, and people from India, China, across the world, Astrologers, and meditators. Many of the housing developments were very expensive and unattainable…tuition as well. Abundance Ecovillage was forming.
Not really southern Iowa, but certainly south of Mason City.
“In his new position he will be executive director of the Capitol Corridor initiative, a component of the Capital Crossroads: A Vision for Greater Des Moines & Central Iowa plan.”
Seems like quite the plum job. I agree with the above poster. MC has had some very good leaders who have moved on to even bigger roles.
From CEO to Executive Director isn’t that a step back. I hope our EDC has a iron clad confidentially agreement because Mr. WILLETT couldn’t use this unnamed fortune 500 company on his resume if the people of NI can’t know the name, correct. What did he put on his application “did something big, but I can’t tell you”. Please hire me.
If true, I wish him well.
I hope they don’t pay as much for his replacement.
One would think he would stay to see his greatest accomplishment completed. A unnamed business that in under 18 months will be revealed to the good citizens of Cerro Gordo County. It is strange that he is leaving as the pressure mounts to reveal the name of the company and that a Tax payer funded corporation does not have to reveal any information.
Self serving on his part. Didn’t even have enough class to back out gracefully. To damn bad he can’t take Eric and Robin with him.
Wow. This is interesting. Either he’s pulling a Tom Jolas and resigning after getting the “Southbridge Mall” passed, or something has gone wrong with the deal, and he’s leaving town before people ask for his resignation. Which is it? I mean why would he leave upon achieving the magnum opus of his career? Maybe he’s just accepting better job offers? Maybe some internal turmoil resulting in his feeling slighted at lack of bonuses for landing the Mystery Company?
It’s funny Matt that you called this “snake oil” travelling salesman for what he was: An opportunist carpet bagger who was scheduled to make as much money off a region before fleeing. And I hope Clear Lake feels uber satisfied when they get their 164 below average wage jobs that may or may not come at the expense of building up solid community foundations and at the cost of millions with no returns in sight. It was said Jolas did the same thing to Mason City.
On a personal note I have nothing against Mr. Willett; I don’t know him. I liked his presentation the night of the election, and I could tell that my platform caused he and Flory to really step up their game in trying to convince the people they were the right crew for the job. I don’t know how much zest remained after the election (the parts about tech meet and greets)? But I’m a unifier, and this group are elitist dividers, so I have no choice but to want them removed from power.