Jefferson was presented with the Technology Association of Iowa’s Prometheus Award for Technology Community of the Year during a virtual presentation on Wednesday, June 24.
The trophy was delivered to Jefferson Friday by TAI president Brian Waller and TAI board member Dave Tucker, formerly of Jefferson. Representatives of the city of Jefferson, Jefferson Matters: Main Street, and Pillar Technology accepted the award at an outdoors, socially distanced event.
Jefferson Matters: Main Street director Peg Raney says this award “is a great honor for Jefferson,” and it is “an accumulation of hard work to provide high-tech needs for businesses of all sizes.” Raney says the investment in education, specifically the career center, will generate interest among families to relocate to the city.
“The award for Technology Community of the Year honors Iowa communities that make great strides in preparing their community for the 21st century by using information and communication technology to improve quality of life, business, education and workforce,” said Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority. “
Jefferson has received national media attention for attracting Pillar Technologies’ first rural Forge, the name the company assigns to its workplaces. Pillar Technologies provides coding and software engineering services.
Part of “landing” Pillar was the approval of the bond referendum for Greene County Schools’ new regional career academy. Computer coding will be offered at the career academy, with an opportunity available to students who complete that program to continue in Pillar’s coding/software engineering training program.
The hope is that tech jobs can be a revitalizing force is rural America.
