Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen has permanently appointed David Spalding as the vice president for economic development and industry relations (EDIR). The appointment was effective Sept. 1 and is pending approval by the Iowa Board of Regents. Spalding has held the interim role since 2018 and was recently reappointed to a new five-year term as dean of Iowa State’s Ivy College of Business. EDIR serves as a single point of contact to streamline connections between industry and Iowa State’s economic development units: America’s Small Business Development Centers Iowa, Center for Industrial Research and Service, Office of Innovation Commercialization, the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and the ISU Research Park. “David has done an extraordinary job helping position Iowa State University as the top source for talent, research and services that create value for Iowa businesses and strengthen the state’s economy,” Wintersteen said in a prepared statement.