Editor’s note: This article has been updated to add Molly Lopez’s salary.

Molly Lopez announced in a LinkedIn post Tuesday that she will fill the role of chief operating officer at the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, starting March 18.

In the new position, Lopez will establish operational direction, systems and processes that will improve the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s and Iowa Finance Authority’s service delivery, according to a March 12 statement emailed to the Business Record by an IEDA spokesperson. Lopez, who will report to Director Debi Durham, will also have a seat on the senior executive team and have a hand in strategic planning.

Lopez’s annual salary is $184,496, the spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Business Record on March 18.

“Describing it as an honor to collaborate with Director Debi Durham and these highly effective teams of professionals doesn’t quite capture the magnitude of my excitement,” Lopez wrote on LinkedIn. “I am humbled, blessed and grateful for this opportunity to invest in and empower these teams, contribute to the ongoing work building employee culture, and unite through a strong, strategic vision for IEDA and IFA.”

Lopez will succeed Rick Peterson, who started as IEDA’s chief operating officer in 2019.

Lopez has been working as a senior consultant at strategy advising firm Bâton Global since 2020. Previously, she held several leadership positions at Amplify Association Management, including owning the company for 12 years. She has also worked for the Iowa Credit Union League and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry.

“The alignment is incredible with this position and my longtime experience as a business owner, an entrepreneur, in business development, and a culture builder,” Lopez wrote.