Established in 1985, the Iowa Business Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, self-funded organization whose members are the top executives of the largest businesses in the state, the three Regent university presidents, and Iowa’s largest banking association.

The purpose of the Council is to engage the personal commitment of its members in active leadership roles on initiatives that offer opportunities to enhance Iowa’s overall economic vitality. These business and education leaders work to identify major policy issues that must be addressed now in order for Iowa commerce to generate and sustain a competitive posture in the decades to come. This is accomplished by evaluating options and assisting with the implementation of solutions through collaborative public/private partnerships.

The Business Council focuses its efforts primarily in areas related to advanced technology, continuous process improvement, economic and workforce development, education excellence, health care and wellness, and operations continuity and security.

The Iowa Business Council has a long history of advocacy work in business policy, primarily on the state level. Though the Council is nonpartisan, elected officials still seek the opinions and advice of IBC Members. The Governor, majority and minority Legislative leadership, state agency heads, and other public officials are invited regularly to meet with Council Members to engage in candid, closed-door conversation about important issues of the day.

The Council has created this “Issue Focus/Statement of Principles” document to identify the key areas in which it is engaged. By developing principles, versus registering support or opposition on specific pieces of legislation, the Council maintains its non-partisan status yet is still able to offer guidance to those who seek input from the Iowa Business Council.