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Executive Search – Live Updates

June 3, 2025 | Economic Alliance News

Doug Neumann has given notice to the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance board of his intent to step back from leadership later this year. The Board has approved contracts with a national and a local firm to partner on a nationwide executive search for a new leader. Read the entire release here.

Below are the timeline of this search, details and updates as they become available.

Latest Updates

  • Candidate pool has been narrowed and virtual interviews will be conducted by search committee in May.
  • Final candidates will be in Cedar Rapids for in-person interviews in early June.

Timeline

Week of Feb 19 – Survey input gathered.
Week of Feb 24 – Results analyzed and reviewed with stakeholder group and steering committee.
Early March – Position profile and success criteria developed.
Late March/Early April – Search firm works to identify top 7-10 candidates from pool of hundreds.
Early May – Selection committee narrows candidate pool and conducts virtual interviews.
Early June – Top 2-3 candidates in Cedar Rapids for final interviews.

Download the Position Profile

FAQs

I’d like to provide input on what is needed for this position.

While the position profile has now been completed, we still welcome your feedback and will share it with the search team up until the time interviews start. You can provide your input via email to economicalliance@cedarrapids.org.

I have questions about the process you’ll use to select a candidate.

You can visit our website at https://www.cedarrapids.org/executive-search-live-updates/. Updates will be provided there as they are available.

What is the search committee looking for in a candidate?

Under the direction of the Policy Board, Patti Seda of Seda Consulting and Waverly Partners were hired to assist with the search for a new leader. The first step in that process was to gather input from several stakeholder groups to create a job profile for the position. This profile is now posted to this page.

Why did you chose Waverly Partners and Seda Consulting for search activities?

Patti Seda of Seda Consulting is local and working in partnership with Waverly Partners and the search committee on the search process and candidate selection. Waverly Partners is a national executive search firm specializing in executive placement for chambers and economic development organizations. Qualified local, regional and national candidates were all included and considered in the process.

Who is leading the team since Doug has left?

Doug will continue in his leadership role during the search and until the leadership transition is complete. There will be no interim.

What does Doug plan to do now?

Doug intends to stay in the community but is looking forward to being involved in a role where he can have a greater impact on fewer things and capturing a bit more time with family and friends.