LaBree takes the reins as economic development director

She’s a Minnesota girl with a North Dakota education who nearly became a pastor, but Katie LaBree is thrilled to be sitting at her desk in the Parkersburg City Hall on a brisk December morning. About four weeks ago, she began work as the new economic development director, and she recently spoke to the Eclipse News-Review about her background, her goals and the importance of balancing the desire for expansion with the wants and needs of the community she serves.

A Twin Cities native, LaBree was a student attending seminary in North Dakota when she met her husband Elton, the current pastor at the Aplington Baptist Church. Because of the difficulty of finding pastorates within driving distance of each other, she decided to pursue marketing and wound up scoring a job as the economic development director in Wishek, a town of just over 1,000 residents about 100 miles south of Bismarck near the South Dakota line.

The family felt God pulling them elsewhere, and Elton applied for jobs in Wisconsin and Iowa, eventually ending up in Aplington 5 ½ years ago. Since the move, Katie had been doing freelance web and graphic design from home while raising the couple’s two children, but she says it was time for her to branch out and get out of the house. Lo and behold, a perfect opportunity for her skill set presented itself.

“This job came open. I had a background in it and applied, and it’s been a really good experience so far,” LaBree said.

Read the full story in the December 13 edition.

Parkersburg Eclipse News-Review

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Parkersburg, IA 50665
Phone:  319-346-1461

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