Jim Kersten was presented the Catalyst Award during the alliance’s annual banquet.

“I’m honestly so humbled,” Kersten said after coming to the podium to accept the award in front of some 500 people gathered at Fort Frenzy for the event.

“It’s just truly an honor,” he added.

Kersten, who appeared to be fighting to hold back tears, said he regretted that his wife, Laurie, wasn’t there because she was in the hospital recovering from surgery.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Theo Becker, of Fort Dodge, 6, hugs his grandfather Jim Kersten, of Fort Dodge, after Kersten received the Catalyst Award during the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance annual dinner on Thursday.

He said it takes teamwork to accomplish great things.

“The most important team I’ve got is my family,” he said. “Without them, I would not be here.”

Vickie Reeck, the 2024 Catalyst Award recipient who presented the honor Thursday, said Kersten has “spent decades building extensive relationships across the local, state and national levels to advocate for policies and resources to benefit the greater Fort Dodge region, and has leveraged those deep connections and expertise to drive conversations that have brought in millions of dollars in state and federal funding for local initiatives.”

“These efforts have been especially impactful in advancing infrastructure, workforce training programs, economic development initiatives and the growth of Iowa Central Community College,” she added.

Kersten began forging those connections as a state senator from 1991 to 1995.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla

Today, he is vice president of government affairs and external relations for Iowa Central.

“His efforts have played a pivotal role in transforming Iowa Central into one of the most successful community colleges in the state,” Reeck said. “Among others, his most recent accomplishment includes assisting in the design and construction of the Iowa Fuel Testing Laboratory at Iowa Central, which serves as the only independent testing facility in the nation, a project that was made possible due to his perseverance and his ability to secure state funding.”

Kersten has been a member of several state panels, including the Board of Corrections, Governor’s 2020 Transportation Commission, Judicial Nominating Commission and the Iowa Lottery Board of Directors.

He has also been a member of the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees.

Closer to home, he has served on the Friendship Haven board, Ringland-Smeltzer board, Sacred Heart Preservation Committee, Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance Legislative Committee, Webster County Development Corporation, Small Business Development Center Advisory Board, Mid Iowa Growth Partnership, Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Association of Business and Industry and the Iowa Rural Development Council.

He is a member of the Fort Dodge Rotary Club and was a member of the Elks Club.

Governor salutes Kersten

Gov. Kim Reynolds provided this tribute to Jim Kersten upon his receipt of the Catalyst Award Thursday:

“He is a man of many accomplishments and great talent. But what may be most impressive about him is his lifelong love for the greater Fort Dodge community and tireless way he devotes himself to improving it. Across decades of service in both the public and private sectors, he has built a reputation for honesty and generosity that has allowed him to foster strong relationships at the local, state and federal levels. And not only Fort Dodge, but our entire state is stronger for it. I can’t imagine a more deserving recipient of the Catalyst Award.”