Sarah Thompson

Sarah Thompson is a rural economic development strategist, community revitalization consultant, and the Economic Development Coordinator for the Johnson County Planning, Development, and Sustainability (PDS) Department, specializing in municipal grant architecture, entrepreneurial ecosystem building, and cross-tier regional advocacy.

Sarah Thompson operates at the vital center of Midwestern rural revitalization, bringing nearly 20 years of public and private-sector leadership to the preservation of small-town economic infrastructure. After beginning her career as an independent bookstore owner, she transitioned to formal economic development in 2007, mastering the mechanics of community asset-building within the Main Street Iowa network. Sarah’s executive trajectory includes serving as the Tourism and Events Coordinator for Story City, launching the inaugural Main Street program for Lansing, Iowa, and spearheading regional retention and growth lines as the Director for Hamilton County SEED (Support for Enriching Economic Development). In 2018, she launched Rural Revitalization LLC, a boutique consulting firm that equips small municipalities with the structural tools needed to reverse rural population flight and stimulate commercial growth.

Sarah’s strategic expertise heavily influences economic policy at both county and state levels. Appointed by the Governor, she served on the Empower Rural Iowa “Invest” task force from its inception in 2018 through 2023, advising on statewide capital deployment and infrastructure priorities. Now operating through a joint alignment with the Iowa City Area Development (ICAD) Group and Johnson County, Sarah directs economic development frameworks for the county’s rural communities and unincorporated zones. Her recent initiatives include engineering high-impact Leadership Bootcamps, designing targeted rural grant structures, and serving across multiple regional development committees. By pairing a deep understanding of municipal policy with a hands-on approach to entrepreneurship, Sarah provides business leaders and civic officials scaling businesses with a practical blueprint for driving sustainable, long-term regional growth.

Join Sarah to discover the strategic frameworks required to navigate municipal zoning and grant funding, leverage regional tourism assets for business growth, and build resilient commercial networks outside of major metro hubs.