O'Brien County Economic Development Corp. Awarded "You Rock" Geode Award

Pictured L to R: Stephanie Neppl, Kiana Johndson & Amy Zeigler

Primghar, Iowa, March 27, 2025 – Kiana Johnson, Executive Director of O’Brien County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC), received a “You Rock” Geode Award for “Top Visitor Spending Growth” at the Iowa Tourism Conference earlier this month. Presenting the award were Stephanie Neppl, Tourism Liaison at Travel Iowa and Amy Zeigler, Tourism Manager at Travel Iowa. This was the first year the “You Rock” Geode awards were given out and the eight recipients of the award were chosen by the staff of Travel Iowa. This award is named for the geode, which is the state rock of Iowa.

Late last year, the Iowa Tourism Office released data showing that O’Brien County lead the state with the greatest increase in tourism-related spending when comparing 2023 to 2022. In the past several years, O’Brien County Tourism has utilized state tourism grants to help fund blogger and social media campaigns to promote tourism in O’Brien County. Ms. Johnson stated, “It is exciting to see the committee’s efforts translated into this type of measurable growth and I would like to thank Travel Iowa for recognizing that growth with this award.”

When presenting the award, Stephanie Neppl said, “Kiana Johnson, executive director of the O'Brien County Economic Development Corporation, has shown exceptional leadership in driving economic growth and tourism in a rural part of Iowa. Under her guidance, O'Brien County saw the highest visitor spending increase by percentage in the state. She has also connected tourism with talent attraction through initiatives like Career Day and industry panels.

Kiana's dedication to promoting O'Brien County has fostered a thriving economy and made a lasting impact on the community."

O’Brien County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) was formed to create an atmosphere conducive to growth and development in O’Brien County. O’Brien County Tourism falls under the umbrella of OCEDC and is devoted to promoting tourism and improving quality of life within O’Brien County. For additional information, contact Kiana Johnson, O’Brien County Economic Development at 712.957.1313 or e-mail ocedc@tcaexpress.net .

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