Jasmine Almoayyed has been appointed director of Economic Development & Development Services for the City of Cedar Rapids, returning to city government after a stint in higher education leadership at Kirkwood Community College.
Cedar Rapids city manager Jeff Pomeranz announced Ms. Almoayyed’s new role at the June 9 city council meeting.
She replaces Bill Micheel, who had served in the role since September 2023. Mr. Micheel accepted a new role in May as regional manager of community engagement for QTS Data Centers, according to a post on his LinkedIn page. QTS is building a large-scale data center complex in southwest Cedar Rapids.
Ms. Almoayyed brings more than 18 years of experience in economic development, workforce strategy, public policy, municipal leadership, redevelopment, housing, and cross-sector partnerships to the position, according to a page on the city’s website.
In her role, she will oversee the review and management of facilities and land-development projects from inception through occupancy and directs land-use policies including zoning, subdivision, and right-of-way regulations. She also leads the city’s economic growth initiatives, with a focus on business and workforce retention and attraction.
Ms. Almoayyed previously served Cedar Rapids as economic development manager from 2013 to 2021, a position she was the first to hold. During that tenure, she helped develop the city’s first comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan and assisted in executing 140 incentivized projects totaling more than $1.7 billion in capital investment and 2,200 housing units.
She left city government in 2021 to join Kirkwood Community College, where she served as vice president of Continuing Education & Training Services and later as vice president of Government & Community Affairs, a role in which she sat on the President’s Cabinet as a senior advisor on government relations, public policy, and community engagement.
Ms. Almoayyed holds a Master of Strategic Leadership from Mount Mercy University and a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology from the University of Iowa. She has received several recognitions from the Corridor Business Journal, including Leaders 500, Women of Influence, and 40 Under 40.
