The keeper of John Deere history is the new board chair of Visit Quad Cities for the year ahead.
Neil Dahlstrom, who leads Heritage Marketing for John Deere and serves as the company’s official archivist, succeeds Jennifer Sautter, who served as chair the past fiscal year.
Mr. Dahlstrom has been a board member for the local destination marketing organization (DMO) since 2022. He is a 25-year employee of Deere & Co.
“I am thrilled to lead this organization as it continues to make a positive impact on the
Quad Cities,” he said in a Visit QC news release last week. “Tourism is an economic development engine and drives our unique story. It’s a privilege to work alongside my fellow board members leveraging our momentum and serving our purpose-led mission.”
Mr. Dahlstrom also is the author of “Tractor Wars,” which was recognized in 2025 as one of the must read books by Illinois Reads.
Visit Quad Cities also announced the addition of these new members to its FY2026-2027 board: Steve Frommelt of Black Hawk College; Melissa Mohr, Figge Art Museum, and Todd Peterson, Rhythm City Casino & Resort.
“The strength of Visit Quad Cities comes from the dedicated and aligned leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to serve our region,” Visit QC President and CEO Dave Herrell said.
“Our board members generously share their leadership and provide strategic guidance to help move our destination forward,” added Mr. Herrell, who was voted the region’s Most Influential Leader in 2025 by readers of the QCBJ.
“We are incredibly grateful for Jennifer Sautter’s leadership during her term as board chair, and we look forward to Neil Dahlstrom taking the helm,” he said in the release.
Slate for 2026-2027
Visit QC’s board, which is made up of leaders from the private and public sectors, provides strategic oversight, governance, and guidance as Visit Quad Cities continues its work to grow the visitor economy, boost tourism, improve residents’ quality of life, and elevate the Quad Cities globally as a premier destination.
The new Visit QC Executive Committee and its officers are: Mr. Dahlstrom, chair; Ali Wright, Wright Law, first vice-chair; Travis Hankins, Bally’s Rock Island, second vice-chair; Ms. Sautter, immediate past chair; Nancy Ballenger, Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf/Caesar’s Entertainment, treasurer; and Mr. Herrell, secretary and ex-officio.
Ms. Sautter brought a wealth of marketing expertise to the board including from her current role of traffic and production planner at MindFire Communications in LeClaire, where she has worked since 2016.
Other 2026-2027 board members are: East Moline Mayor Reggie Freeman; Mr. Frommelt, Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher; Steve Geifman, Geifman Group; Davenport Mayor Jason Gordon; Rock Island Mayor Ashley Harris; Tasha Keegan, TBK Bank; Ben Leischner, Quad Cities International Airport; John Maxwell, Scott County Board of Supervisors; Lee Meier, CAT Scale Company/Iowa 80 Group; Mallory Merritt, Estes Construction; Todd Peterson, Rhythm City Casino Resort; Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati; and Kai Swanson, Rock Island County Board and Augustana College.
