Chief Operating Officer had held position on interim basis in 2023
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Dec. 5, 2023) – NewBoCo has announced that Jill Wilkins – who has been serving as interim Executive Director since April – has now been named to the position on a permanent basis.
“Jill is an exceptional leader, and she has a clear grasp on the mission of this organization,” said Eric Engelmann, founder of NewBoCo and current chair of the NewBoCo Board of Directors. “The board unanimously voted for her to lead NewBoCo into the future.”
Wilkins succeeds Aaron Horn, who stepped down as Executive Director in April to take a new position as Chief Information Officer with Benchmark, Inc. in Cedar Rapids.
Wilkins spent 10 years with the Cedar Rapids Downtown District and the Metro Economic Alliance, where she led the newly established Downtown Farmers’ Market. She joined the NewBoCo team in 2016 and became Chief Operating Officer in 2020.
“I’m honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead this exceptional team,” Wilkins said. “Throughout my time at NewBoCo, I have been inspired by the numerous entrepreneurs and innovators we work with who act on their ideas and work to better their community.
“This non-profit was founded by visionaries who were not afraid of the big ideas, and who saw how a group of smart, driven people can make change,” Wilkins said. “I am excited for us to continue to embrace that mindset as we move into this next chapter in the organization. And I look forward to supporting our staff as they grow our entrepreneurial and computer science education communities throughout Iowa.”
About NewBoCo
The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) is a 501(c)(3) organization located in the New Bohemia neighborhood of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. NewBoCo’s programming supports entrepreneurship, innovation and tech education to help Iowans become more resilient and thrive in a changing economy.