Karla Organist

Karla Organist assists communities, economic development organizations and other nonprofits with strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. The scope and focus of planning projects are varied and can span in scale from state, region, community or organization; and cover numerous focus areas such as economic or community development, workforce development, public relations, and marketing. As a skilled facilitator and presenter, Organist leads community engagement efforts, convenes interview groups, and delivers research and training presentations for clients. She serves as assistant director and instructor for the Heartland Economic Development Course, as a team member on UNI's EDA University Center project, and as co-chair of the education committee for Iowa’s Industry 4.0 Consortium. Organist has previous work experience in economic development; comprehensive, housing, hazard mitigation and transportation planning; entrepreneurship; and business consulting and financial training for childcare businesses.

Hobbies & Interests
In her free time, Organist enjoys trying new art techniques, playing ping pong, and enjoying a local craft IPA or wine on an outdoor patio after a nice long walk!