Meet the Team

The City of Urbandale's Economic Development Department was formed in April 2013. Follow the links below to learn more about the staff you'll be working with and how they operate.

Curtis Brown, CEcD, Director

Curtis Brown is the Assistant City Manager/Director of Economic Development for the City of Urbandale, Iowa. Before this position, Brown held positions in the Economic Development Department and City Manager’s Office for the City of Ankeny. Brown has also worked as the Executive Director of the Mason City Economic Development Corporation and Community Development Director/Assistant City Administrator for Blue Earth, Minnesota. He has a BA from Saint John's University in Collegeville, MN and a MA from the University of Texas at Austin. Brown earned the Certified Economic Developer designation from the International Economic Development Council in 2014. He also earned the Certified Public Manager designation in 2016. Email Curtis or Connect with Curtis on Linkedin.

Aaron DeJong, Assistant Director

Aaron DeJong is the Assistant Director of Economic Development for the City of Urbandale, Iowa. Before this position, DeJong was the Director of Economic Development of the City of Louisville, Colorado. DeJong has also held positions in the Economic Development Department of Dubuque, Iowa, and Coralville, Iowa. He has a BA from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA and a MA from the University of Iowa. Email Aaron or Connect with Aaron on Linkedin.

Ethics and Operating Principles

The purpose of the Economic Development department is to protect business and citizen investments and improve quality of life by designing and implementing strategies for tax base expansion and employment opportunities in Urbandale. In all that we do, we abide by a Code of Ethics and a set of Operating Principles.