Thursday, Sept. 19, the QCBJ honored 40 leaders throughout the Quad Cities who are under 40 years old with our annual Forty Under 40 Awards banquet.
As has been repeated countless times, talent attraction and retention is key to the success of the Quad Cities region. These 40 leaders are integral to the region’s success.
How do we continue to engage them in the region and keep them leading in nonprofit and for-profit endeavors? How do we nurture more leaders like them?
Each year we have some incredible people on the Forty Under 40 list, and this year is no different. We have a good balance of honorees in the nonprofit or government sector and the for-profit business sector.
Most of the people on the list do a considerable amount of volunteering. Sometimes it is often difficult to discern between their volunteering and their “real jobs” because they are giving so much to both.
It is also difficult to see how they manage and still have time for their families which many of them have, but we are better for them and their hard work and tireless involvement.
While these 40 individuals will receive a physical award and public recognition at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, they deserve much more than that and something much simpler — our thanks.
If you see one of the 40 winners in one of their many activities giving back to the Quad Cities or just walking down the street be sure to say thank you.
As the Quad Cities continues to think about the next step in combating its workforce challenges, taking a deep look at these young leaders and understanding what motivates them and why they choose to make the Quad Cities their home would be a good place to start.
More kudos to Von Maur
Von Maur continues to be a bright spot for the Quad Cities economic picture. It was recently recognized as America’s Best Department Store by Newsweek.
This marks the third straight year the family-owned Von Maur has earned the top department store spot in Newsweek’s annual ranking of America’s best retailers, the company announced in a news release.
“We are honored to be recognized by Newsweek as America’s best department store for the third straight year, something that is only possible because of our associates, customers and brand partners,” Jim von Maur, the president of Von Maur Department Stores, said in the release.
Founded in 1872 in downtown Davenport, Von Maur today operates 37 department stores in 15 states along with a 120,000-square-foot E-Commerce facility in north Davenport.
These awards are great for Von Maur and another positive for the region.
