As the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s influence expands well outside the metropolitan area, the 10-year-old organization is developing new campaigns focused on attracting and retaining a quality work force.

“We’ve always been about attracting people, but it was secondary in a sense and just part of our traditional economic development work until about four years ago,” said Martha Willits, the Partnership’s president and CEO.

That’s when the nonprofit association realized that a shortfall of workers was looming. That concern was overshadowed by a tough recession. But as the economy rebounds, the Partnership is ramping up its efforts to educate those in Central Iowa and beyond about the benefits of living in the region.

Greater Des Moines’ population grew by more than 17 percent in the past decade, more than twice the national rate. Much of that growth, Willits said, was due to attracting “a lot of great young workers” from rural Iowa.

The Partnership, which has traditionally served Polk, Dallas and Warren counties, recently added Madison, Jasper and Marshall to its roster. And over the course of the next year, Willits said, her organization will conduct “vision exercises” centered on furthering its reach.

“In reality, the labor shed, the economic circle, is really eight or nine counties,” she said. “So there is a real tipping point around the issue of ‘where is the real economic interchange here?’ It is bigger than we cover.”

For now, as Des Moines’ reputation for being a great place in which to live, work and play grows – evidenced by recent reports from various media outlets around the nation – Willits said the Partnership wants to attract more businesses and employees from outside Iowa’s borders.

“We’re kind of ever sharpening our tools toward it,” Willits said, noting that the accessibility of private and pubic leaders in Greater Des Moines is likely the top reason for the plaudits.

“We have incredible business leadership; it is probably is the No. 1 reason it does get all these accolades,” she said.

Willits said Greater Des Moines’ leaders, many of whom are key players in accomplishing the Partnership’s overarching goals – regional economic development, downtown development, regional workforce development, regional business development – get engaged and stay engaged.

“Leadership in this community is highly valued and practiced, I think, in ways that most cities don’t even see,” she said. “They mentor younger people pretty freely and openly.”

In January, the Partnership launched its “One City, One Voice” campaign, which includes a “metro message” training packet filled with information on regional and community rankings, quality-of-life issues and key industries, such as financial services and bioscience.

Lauren Burt, the Partnership’s director of media and marketing for economic development, said she has been contacted by Iowa Health System, Mercy Medical Center — Des Moines and Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. The companies called to request copies of the materials so their human resources departments could use them as a recruitment tool.

“I’ve probably sent about 300 (packets) to those organizations,” Burt said.

Lately, Willits has been talking more about the concept of “regionalism” and how getting the Partnership’s affiliate chamber groups on the same page is important.

“We know that rushing out ahead of us are these mega-regions,” Willits said. “So it’s all important that smaller regions have some real like-mindedness and some real strategies and visions that are common.”

In the past several years, there has been a “real valuing by a lot of suburbs of downtown Des Moines,” she said, noting that though outlying cities maintain and develop their own identities, they appreciate the advantages that come via their affiliation with the core.

“The 20 chambers of commerce in the area are all now tightly related to us,” Willits said, adding that though there have been challenges to overcome, bolstering Des Moines’ image and presenting it to others all comes down to developing and maintaining solid relationships in the public and private sectors.

The effort will also be enhanced as new communication tools are paired with age-old word-of-mouth initiatives.

“Social media has worked well,” Willits said. “We are our best voice. Sharing with each other and telling others is our strongest way of really promoting and growing this region.”

Mark Land is chair of the Partnership’s Affiliate Presidents’ Council.

“When you get (20) of anything together, you’re not going to get 100 percent on any issue,” Land said, acknowledging how challenging it may be to get everyone on the same page.

But Land, a business unit leader with Ankeny-based Snyder & Associates Inc., said the fact that the metro area can sustain a regional organization such as the Partnership is a testament to how building key relationships plays an integral role in keeping communities strong.

“They have a process of getting together and communicating,” he said. “I think it’s a very positive thing in Des Moines. They are all doing that for the improvement and betterment of Central Iowa.”

“There’s something here that is very valuable,” said Willits, referring again to the accessibility and engagement of local business people as being the key to Greater Des Moines’ success. “Most organizations like ours don’t get CEOs anymore at all,” she said. “Well, we get all the CEOs, all of them, almost without break.

“If we work together, we can attract from the outside in, we can grow our own inside,” Willits concluded. “And really keep the economy growing.”