GREATER DES MOINES, IA – (Jan. 31, 2018) – Billi Hunt has been named the Executive Director of the Cultivation Corridor. Hunt brings 20 years of experience working for one of the leading agriculture companies in the state.
Hunt joins the Cultivation Corridor after working as the Government Affairs Manager — U.S. Central Region for DuPont. The U.S. Central Region includes Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In this role, she supported DuPont’s global business through state-level advocacy, public policy initiatives and government-related business collaborations. She represented DuPont’s business in a number of community and industry-related organizations, including the Iowa Business Council, the United Way of Central Iowa, the Iowa Biotech Association, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry.
“Billi brings a high level of experience in the agriculture sector and is an influential leader who is respected among her peers,” said Gage Kent, Chairman & CEO of Kent Corporation and Chairman of the Cultivation Corridor’s Board of Directors. “Billi has been instrumental in the Cultivation Corridor’s success, and I am confident that she will continue to build off the Cultivation Corridor’s momentum as a premier agbioscience region.”
Prior to her role in government affairs, Hunt worked with Optimum Quality Grains, L.L.C., a DuPont/Pioneer joint venture. She also worked for the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (prior to the organization’s evolution into the Greater Des Moines Partnership) as the Agriculture Coordinator.
“Billi has exceptional credentials to advance the Cultivation Corridor’s mission to feed and fuel the world,” said Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, President of Iowa State University and Officer on the Cultivation Corridor Board of Directors. “We are excited to leverage her industry experience and relationships in collaboration with Iowa State University’s renowned talent and innovation as well as our many other partners to accelerate growth and development throughout the Cultivation Corridor.”
Hunt is also active in the community. She is involved with the Des Moines Christian School, Iowa State University, Lutheran Church of Hope and United Way of Central Iowa. Hunt is a member of the Des Moines Business Record’s Forty Under 40 class.
Hunt received her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University and her Master of Public Administration degree from Drake University.
“I am excited to help lead the Cultivation Corridor into its next chapter,” Hunt said. “Having worked in agriculture and with the Cultivation Corridor initiative firsthand, I have seen that our region and state are filled with global industry leaders that set us apart, and we will continue to ensure that Central Iowa is recognized as a top place for agbioscience innovation.”
Hunt will begin her role with the Cultivation Corridor on Feb. 19.
About Iowa’s Cultivation Corridor
Focused on further developing and marketing the world-renowned bioeconomy in Central Iowa, Iowa’s Cultivation Corridor is building on a rich history of innovation to accelerate value-added agriculture business development by attracting companies, talent and capital from across the globe to the state. Representing a diverse public-private coalition of stakeholders including the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Ames Chamber of Commerce, Iowa State University, nonprofits and private sector companies from across the region and state, the Cultivation Corridor is one of the nation’s foremost cluster-based economic development organizations. For more information, visit CultivationCorridor.org.
###
Contact:
Sam Hoyle
On Behalf of the Cultivation Corridor
shoyle@DSMpartnership.com
(515) 286-4919