Zachary Mannheimer, executive director of the Des Moines Social Club, on Jan. 2 will begin a new job at a Johnston-based company interested in turning art and entrepreneurship into economic development in towns around Iowa.

His job title probably doesn’t appear on your company’s organizational chart: vice president of creative placemaking for Iowa Business Growth Co.

Mannheimer, 38, will work with communities to find public and private financing for their bucket-list projects, in many cases ones that will create a few jobs. The idea is that the projects will make the communities a better place to live, leading to more projects, and more jobs and residents. Mannheimer is betting those residents stay, reversing some of Iowa’s rural population losses eventually.

Iowa Business Growth Co. helps clients find private and public financing for job-creating projects. Sometimes that’s a Small Business Administration loan, or new market tax credits, or private investments.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE CONTENT Mannheimer’s plans for new role   Zachary Mannheimer wrote his own job description at the invitation of Iowa Business Growth President Daniel Robeson after the two dined on burgers at Americana Restaurant & Lounge in downtown Des Moines. Continue reading to learn more about Mannheimer’s decision to stay in Iowa, and what his plans are in his new job. Read more

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