Our Team

Brenda Dudley
Executive Director

Brenda Dudley has been serving as the director of the Stuart Chamber of Commerce, and as manager of the Rock Island Depot in Stuart, for the past 5 years. Since April 2022, she has also been director of the DOT’s White Pole Road Scenic Byway, serving the communities of Adair, Casey, Menlo, Stuart, and Dexter. In these roles Brenda has been a leader in event planning and execution, public relations and marketing. Prior to that she worked for 12 years at Wright Pharmacy in Stuart as a certified technician. She also has considerable entrepreneurial and accounting experience through her family’s farm operation in Adair and Guthrie Counties.

Brenda holds a B.S. in Management Services from Iowa State University, with training in economics, finance, and management. She has also worked as a costing engineer for a Des Moines textile manufacturer and as an analyst for Principal Financial Group.

The hiring committee was particularly impressed with the breadth of Brenda’s experience, her direct communication style and teamwork focus, and her commitment to the vitality of the Midwest Partnership region. With her base of business knowledge and community connections, she will hit the ground running and be an effective voice for Midwest Partnership.

Karen Varley
Coordinator

Greetings! I’m delighted to join Midwest Partnership to continue its history of growing the businesses and supporting the communities of Adair and Guthrie Counties. This region has been my home since 1989 and I am devoted to its future, having served on the boards of Adair County Tourism, West Central Valley Scholarships, Wallace Centers of Iowa, Stuart Public Library, and the Stuart Chamber of Commerce. I’ve been practicing law with my husband, Warren, in Stuart since 2016, after 18 years in the legal department of Pioneer Hi-Bred. We raised our four children on the family farm in Adair County. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, biking, and tending to a small flock of poultry.

In a word, I see Midwest Partnership as a matchmaker. We help match businesses with the resources they need to flourish. Those resources can include physical location, employees, utilities, transportation options, funding for innovation, and networking to solve problems. We connect with school districts and community colleges building the skills that employers are seeking. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we strive to enhance opportunity and improve quality of life for residents. Also, by working with all local communities we can amplify distinct voices to bring attention to shared concerns.  

We encourage you to connect with us. Peter and I will be out and about at your community meetings and events. I look forward to seeing you!

Board of Directors

Officers

Marty Doud, President
First State Bank
Stuart, Guthrie County

Matt Wedemeyer, Vice President
Adair County Supervisor
Casey, Adair County

Ryan Morrison, Treasurer
Country Kitchen
Stuart, Guthrie County

Stacie Eshelman, Secretary
Greenfield Chamber/Main Street Development
Greenfield, Adair County

Members

Ryan Billheimer, City of Adair, Adair County

Josh Calmer, Active Health Solutions, Guthrie County

Brad Hayes, BH Appraisals, Guthrie County

Cheryl Marks, Rolling Hills Bank & Trust, Adair County

Kathy Rohrig, ISU Extension (retired), Adair County

Steve Smith, Guthrie County Supervisor, Guthrie County

Scott Tonderum, Greenfield Municipal Utilities, Greenfield, Adair County

Mike Underwood, Guthrie County State Bank, Guthrie Center, Guthrie County

Holi Weston, Farmers REC, Adair County

Julie Zajicek, Panora State Bank, Panora, Guthrie County