One of the newest members of the Scott County Board has become its leader. Tony Knobbe was elected chair last week during the board's organizational meeting for 2018.
He won a seat in the fall of 2016 and was sworn in just a year ago.
"The advice I've gotten from mentors over the years is - any organization you join, don't join it just to sit in the chair and watch life go by, join it to make a difference. And one way to make a difference is to rise to a leadership role in one fashion or another."
And now that he's retired after a career in banking, Knobbe says he has the time to help oversee 600 county employees, and an 80 million dollar budget.
This year, Scott County will probably host its annual economic development summit, and the possible focus will be "value-added agriculture."
"Featuring speakers and topics having to do with not just selling corn, beans, hogs, and cattle as raw products. But how do we as a county find ways to attract and grow and develop businesses that add more value to those products."
He says supervisors will also probably collaborate with the city and Genesis Health System to protect residents from lead, and continue the county's long emphasis on protecting farm land.
