Calhoun County Becomes the 100th Home Base Iowa Community

12/20/2019

Iowa Workforce Development Communications
For Immediate Release
Date: December 20, 2019

Calhoun County Becomes the 100th Home Base Iowa Community

Calhoun County, Iowa – Iowa expanded its list of Home Base Iowa communities into the triple digits by establishing Calhoun County as the state’s 100th HBI community. 

Home Base Iowa is a one-of-a-kind program designed to connect veterans and transitioning service members with over 2,400 businesses statewide who have pledged to hire over 16,000 veterans. Businesses and communities can also use homebaseiowa.gov to search for veteran job seekers who have uploaded their resume to the website.  In addition to the 100 communities statewide, the program also partners with 27 colleges and universities. 

“We are excited to be designated as a Home Base Iowa Community and honored to have the distinction of being the 100th to join the program,” said Jill Heisterkamp, Executive Director for Calhoun County Economic Development. “We have two military veterans who serve on our county Board of Supervisors, so it was important to them and our organization to achieve this designation in support of these men and women who have served.”

Home Base Iowa designates qualified communities as centers of opportunity for military veterans based on four standards:  

  • Within a designated community, at least 10 percent of eligible, hiring businesses must become HBI businesses and pledged to hire veterans,
  • Community develops its own incentive package for veterans,
  • Community prominently displays HBI Community designation, and
  • Community must obtain a resolution of support from the appropriate local governing body 

Home Base Iowa Program Manager Jason Kemp and Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend are happy to report that Calhoun County has not only met the requirements, they have also exceeded them in some areas. 

Iowa offers many incentives to veterans and transitioning service members including no state taxes on military pension and veteran hiring preference, which allows veteran preferential treatment in hiring decisions for both public and private organizations. Additionally, veterans moving to Iowa can receive home buying assistance and special tuition rates for themselves, their spouses, and their dependents. 

For more information on Home Base Iowa, please visit www.HomeBaseIowa.gov. 

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