About this Webinar

When we talk about federal government funding for the arts, we typically think of the National Endowment for the Arts, but U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development budget not only dwarfs that of the NEA, but contains programs for which arts organizations may be eligible.

Join Bill Menner, Iowa State Director, USDA Rural Development, as he overviews USDA programs that arts organizations can utilize, the people to know, and tips to make your organization stand out.

Speaker:

Bill Menner, Iowa State Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development

Moderator:

Jay Dick, Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Americans for the Arts

Bill Menner was appointed to the Obama Administration in July 2009 as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa.

Under his leadership USDA Rural Development's funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Iowa. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested $4.5 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Iowa families.

This past year USDA Rural Development's investment in Iowa helped create or retain more than 1,000 jobs, aided 2,600 families in buying their own homes and assisted more than 60 communities as they made improvements to their facilities, services and infrastructure.
Prior to his appointment, Menner served as executive director of Poweshiek Iowa Development, a county-wide economic development organization based in Grinnell, Iowa. In addition to acting as the county economic development director, he led downtown development and tourism efforts in the City of Grinnell.

Menner also spent 14 years as a public radio reporter, including five years as the Iowa Statehouse reporter for Cedar Falls-based KUNI. He is the author of two books about Grinnell, one of which tells the story of the Merchants National Bank building, a national historic landmark designed by the legendary architect Louis Sullivan.

A native of the Cleveland, Ohio-area, Menner is a graduate of Ohio State University with a BA in journalism and an MA in political science. He and his wife, Grinnell College political science professor Barbara Trish, have lived in Grinnell since 1990.