New Ogle County economic development director: ‘I’m excited to make a change and make a difference’

On her first day on the job, new Ogle County Economic Development Corporation Director Liz Hiemstra took a picture of Oregon’s downtown from the window of her courthouse office.

“I did it just so I could look back in five or 10 years and see how it’s changed,” Hiemstra said. “I’m excited to see those wins for our communities so people can continue to have their small-town pride. I’m excited to welcome new people into the area and show them what we have to offer.”

Hiemstra was hired by the OCEDC to fill its vacant director position last month. The OCEDC was established in 2023 as a nonprofit economic development organization representing a unified effort by the entire county. It represents the communities of Polo, Oregon, Mt. Morris, Byron and Creston. Ogle County and the city of Rochelle also provided startup funds for the organization. Charlene Coulombe was the organization’s previous director.

Hiemstra has lived in Oregon for the past 30 years. She currently serves as the market manager for the River’s Edge Farmers Market in Oregon and has her own small business in Libra Farms. She brings a background in marketing, community engagement and small business expertise.

Hiemstra said she has become more involved in the community in the past 10 years, including working with the Oregon Together nonprofit and, along with Melanie Cozzi, taking over the farmers market.

“I want to be involved and I love my community,” Hiemstra said. “I want to do what I can. I expressed that to [Oregon City Manager and OCEDC Board Vice President Darin DeHaan] and said I wanted to be part of the community in any way I could. When this opportunity came along, I applied and interviewed, and was hired.”

OCEDC Board President Randy Schoon of Polo said, “It means everything” to the OCEDC to have Hiemstra on board as director. He said the organization is excited to have a longtime county resident and active community member as its leader and face.

“It’s almost like the stars aligned,” Schoon said. “She is going to do great things, and the sky is the limit for her. She just has to put her head down and do the work. She’s very capable, and we’re more excited than we’ve been since we put the OCEDC together. I think we’re at the point now where we’re finally going to start to see some good things happen.”

Hiemstra said that as a small business owner, she’s realized the workload it takes to be successful in business, beyond just knowledge and passion. That was one of the reasons she was interested in the OCEDC director position, and she plans to use that experience when working with current and potential businesses.

Initial OCEDC work for Hiemstra has included visiting each town and entity the organization represents and meeting with its leaders and stakeholders.

“I’ve been working to immerse myself in the towns I’m not as familiar with,” Hiemstra said. “I’ve been trying to reach out and get an idea of what these communities have, need and want. I’ve been really impressed with the work these communities are already doing. I feel like there’s momentum and we’re on the brink of something really great.”

Schoon and Hiemstra said top priorities for the OCEDC include housing, business retention, attracting industry, marketing & promotion, capital development, recreation, sports and tourism.

Housing will be the No. 1 objective, Hiemstra said. Some homebuilding is currently taking place in Creston and Byron, and Mt. Morris, Polo and Oregon have “prime subdivision real estate” waiting on development, she said.

“We’ve been talking to local builders,” Hiemstra said. “There are a few out there that are building homes that are being sold. We know that there is an appetite. It’s just about finding that sweet spot of making sure everyone has a home that is affordable and works for them. Different towns have different needs. There are some vacant buildings. We want to see more retail in downtowns and bring that sense of place. With industry, there are some empty industrial buildings and plots that are ripe for development. That’s on the horizon, too.”

OCEDC meetings involving the leaders of the various communities in recent years have brought about collaboration and idea sharing that didn’t previously exist. Hiemstra said working as a team to improve the county as a whole is needed, along with making for a louder voice in the industrial development arena and at the state level for potential opportunities.

“We have to work together to make our voices heard and get what we need for our beautiful small towns,” Hiemstra said. “Rural populations have been declining. And with that goes a lot of our amenities. The things that we want to see, we have to be able to support. I enjoy work like this because I love meeting new people and talking with people. I like to hear about what people have going on in their lives. I love being creative. This job is a lot of creativity and putting puzzle pieces together to create solutions that have a tangible impact I can see.”