Two local entities have been recognized for their work in the Jefferson community.

The City of Jefferson was recently tabbed as a finalist for the Technology Community of the Year award through the 2020 Prometheus Awards presented by LWBJ. The award is given to individuals and companies that impact Iowa’s over $10 billion technology industry. Jefferson Matters: Main Street submitted the nomination last month and will find out if they win at next month’s awards ceremony at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Downtown Des Moines. The other finalists include Cedar Valley, Story County and West Des Moines. 

Jefferson Matters: Main Street was also named as a semi-finalist for the Great American Main Street Award by the National Main Street Center. It has been a goal of JMMS Board President Jamie Daubendiek to receive the distinction, which is for those communities that show their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. He reminisces about setting that goal following his first trip to the National Main Street conference in 2012, after officially becoming a Main Street district.

“(I) Really saw the great towns across the U.S. that have made some pretty big, transformative changes in their community. And it was really neat to see the before and after (pictures) and what kind of could become for our downtown. So I kind of had this vision of having that kind of replicated here (and it) just (has) taken some time to do it, but it really signifies all the great work that the countless volunteers and the countless volunteer hours that people have put in.”    

The three finalists for the award will be announced in May.