Aaron Horn is stepping down as NewBoCo executive director at the end of the month to take a new position as chief information officer (CIO) with Benchmark, Inc, a national roof and pavement consulting firm based in Cedar Rapids.
Current NewBoCo COO Jill Wilkins will replace Mr. Horn on an interim basis, while the board of directors search for a replacement.
“I am excited about this opportunity because it will utilize my strengths in IT leadership, and I’m looking forward to helping them build on their already innovative technology,” said Mr. Horn in a press release. “Benchmark, much like NewBoCo, has a great entrepreneurial culture and commitment to the community.”
“Aaron has been an integral part of NewBoCo since day one,” said Ms. Wilkins in a news release. “His passion for supporting and growing the entrepreneurial community, growing computer science education in Iowa and providing life-changing opportunities to our DeltaV students is unmatched. We will miss him, and we wish him all the best in his newest role.”
DeltaV, a code school, added a cybersecurity class in early 2022 with the goal of bringing more opportunity to women, minorities and low-income individuals. Using Future Ready Iowa funding, the school was able to pay full tuition for up to eight students.
Mr. Horn became a part-time board member in 2014, before becoming board president in 2016. By 2017, he was named COO of NewBoCo. He served as executive director starting December 2020.
“It’s hard to put into words what NewBoCo has meant to me over the past decade,” he added. “The path from board member to executive director was an amazing professional progression that challenged me further every step of the way. It has been a fantastic fit with my passion for entrepreneurship and tech education.”
Mr. Horn remains the co-founder and president of Beat Cancer Today. He previously was a founder of Corrobo, a review service letting professionals proofread your copy; the director of IT for the Iowa Interstate Railroad; and held various technology roles with Radiology Protocols, BASF, Becker Underwood and Colorbiotics.
He was a named a CBJ 40 Under 40 honoree in 2016.
“The future is incredibly bright for NewBoCo,” he said. “As community partnerships continue to expand, NewBoCo will be there to support the growth of entrepreneurial and tech ecosystems across Iowa. More K-12 students, more adult career changers, more entrepreneurs and more innovators will be impacted across the state as NewBoCo works with an increasing number of economic developers and educational organizations.”
The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) is a 501(c)(3) organization located in the New Bohemia neighborhood of Cedar Rapids. NewBoCo’s programming supports entrepreneurship, innovation and tech education.
Benchmark provides consulting experience and individual attention for all roofing needs, according to its website. Its corporate office is located in Cedar Rapids but Benchmark has consultant locations in 18 states.
In 2022, Benchmark expanded into Texas.
