In late-2023, Diane Van Wyngarden, State Tourism Specialist in the Community Economic Development (CED) unit of Iowa State University (ISU) Extension & Outreach was at an industry meeting when the idea of offering a community assessment program came up. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA)/Travel Iowa Office was interested in partnering with ISU Extension’s CED unit to provide support and guidance to rural communities (population of 10,000 and under) to enhance tourism readiness and strengthen their economy, attract new residents and workforce, and create more vibrant communities.
At the time, ISU Extension’s CED unit did not have a community assessment, but Van Wyngarden who was motivated to embrace the opportunity presented to her, did know of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension’s successful First Impressions Tourism (FIT) program and was determined to create a similar program for Iowa.
The MSU Extension’s FIT program was one of many that had been adapted from the original First Impression community assessment program developed by the University of Wisconsin Extension in 1991. While the original First Impression program from Wisconsin has been widely shared and freely adapted by state Extensions and organizations in both U.S. and Canada, the basic primary approach of the original First Impression program remains the same in all the adaptions — “to help communities learn about their existing strengths and weaknesses through the eyes of a first-time visitor.” Like other adaptions, Michigan customized the original program for their state’s use but also added a tourism component.
To create an assessment program for Iowa and align it with the state tourism office’s goals, Van Wyngarden first applied for and received a North Central Region Extension Collaboration and Implementation Grant offered by North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) to subcontract MSU Extension to train the staff of the ISU Community and Economic Development (CED) team about Michigan’s program. NCRCRD’s $5,000 grant offered throughout the year is specifically created for North Central Region (NCR) Extension programs to implement an Extension program available in another NCR state, so it was a perfect fit for the ISU CED Extension’s use.
“Michigan’s training was so helpful. We needed to hear what they learned over the years – what not to do, how to avoid certain traps, and how to get over hurdles. It helped to hear how another North Central state provides this program and made it easy for us to adapt the program for our state,” recalled Van Wyngarden.
After completing the training in early 2024, the CED Extension team created their assessment program titled, First Impressions Tourism & Community Assessment program (FIT). Iowa’s program involves advanced research and in-person visits over multiple months by a trained assessment team. Assessment data is then analyzed to form a comprehensive community report with actionable recommendations to enhance community vitality, elevate visitor experiences, and improve overall quality of life. Iowa’s special additions include customized information for agritourism specific to the state and help locating resources for participating communities to accomplish their identified projects.
Growth and Success
In April of 2024, within months of their first meeting, IEDA/Travel Iowa and ISU CED Extension partnered with them to pilot the program in two Iowa communities — Corning and Maquoketa. On the success of these initial pilots, ISU CED Extension expanded the program to five communities in 2025 with continued partner support from IEDA/Travel Iowa.
The program has proven to be very popular among Iowa communities with the number of applications received typically three times greater than the number of available slots. The program is now also attracting interest from larger communities with populations over 10,000.
In this partnership both ISU CED staff and Travel Iowa staff are trained to participate in conducting assessments. This collaborative approach allows assessment teams to be assembled with experts from both organizations, ensuring teams are tailored to the specific needs and challenges of each participating community.
While Diane Van Wyngarden retired the summer of 2025, Ann Vogelbacher, a State Tourism Specialist and Community and Economic Development Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, now leads this very successful CED Extension program and the partnership with the IEDA/Travel Iowa continues.
“As a research-based assessment program, FIT delivers expert feedback and guidance to Iowa communities. The program brings together specialists in tourism, marketing, downtown revitalization, outdoor recreation, arts and culture, agritourism, and more to provide tailored recommendations and actionable strategies. Through this collaboration, we are serving rural Iowa in meaningful ways—identifying opportunities and helping communities determine what they may want to act on,” reflected Vogelbacher.
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North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) supports research and outreach programming that builds the capacity of the Land-Grant University System to address crucial needs in our nation’s rural communities. This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.