Staff

Timothy Ostroski – Executive Director

Timothy Ostroski has served as the Executive Director of the Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG) and the Southern Iowa Development Group (SIDG) since February 1984. Mr. Ostroski also serves as the Executive Director of the Southern Iowa COG Housing Trust Fund, Inc, a charitable foundation with its mission to improve housing in the area. Previously, he was the owner of Southern Iowa Planning Company, a private consulting company. Prior to starting his own consulting company, he was the Planning Director for the SICOG. Ostroski is the past chair and serves on the executive board of the Iowa Association of Regional Councils. He has served on the Board of Directors of both the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and National Association of Regional Council (NARC). He has received the Superior Service award from the USDA and has been a speaker on rural development, as well as, a panelist for the National Rural Conference hosted by President Bill Clinton. Ostroski holds a master’s degree in Geography from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Judy Brimm – Finance Director

Judy Brimm is the Finance Director of SICOG and is responsible for all the financials of SICOG and SICOG Affiliates. In addition to her financial duties, she assists with RLF programs, reporting, and assists with most of SICOG’s programs.

Jeremy Rounds – Regional Planner

An employee of SICOG since 1998, Jeremy Rounds has a Bachelors of Science in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University.  Jeremy is a Regional Planner at SICOG that does a little bit of everything, including: comprehensive plans, hazard mitigation plans, housing projects, water and sewer projects, and numerous grant applications.  His passion is community and housing development, focusing on making the region as prosperous and viable as possible.  He works to find new funding avenues to solve the region’s problems and to introduce ideas that will improve quality of life and community design. In his time at SICOG, he has worked on hundreds of projects, from housing grants and large planning documents to administration of CDBG and FEMA grants

 Rana Scarlett – Regional Planner

Rana joins the SICOG staff after careers in non-profit administration and practicing law in Nebraska. Rana graduated from Anita Community Schools and College of Saint Mary. She earned her JD from Creighton University School of Law and practiced law and taught at College of Saint Mary while raising her family in Omaha. A native of the western Adair County area, she returned to Iowa in 2018 and chose Madison County as her home.

As a Regional Planner, she pairs her interest in community development with her writing and advocacy background. Rana’s primary areas of responsibility will be housing rehabilitation and development; community wellness and resources; building resources for business and community responsiveness to COVID-19; and business development. She has a special interest in historic preservation and enjoys working with people and lengthy data reports.
Since moving to central Iowa in 2018, Rana has been actively involved in the volunteer groups and serves on the Leadership Team of the Madison County Heart & Soul Initiative; is a member of 2020 Madison County Leadership Institute Class; and a Board Member of the North Ward Plaza, a low rent housing agency operated by the City of Winterset.

As a community volunteer, Rana has written grant and funding proposals for the Covered Bridges Scenic By-ways Council, the Madison County Heart & Soul Initiative, Friends of the Madison County Courthouse, and the Madison County Leadership Institute. Prior to joining SICOG, Rana operated R.Scarlett Scribe,LLC, a fund development and grant writing service for nonprofits without a development staff.

Caleb Whitehouse – Transportation/Regional Planner 

Caleb joins the SICOG staff after graduating from Kansas State University. He earned his master’s degree in Regional & Community planning and was awarded the Leland Russell Edmonds Award. A native of Mills County, he returned to Iowa to raise a family and pursue a career in transportation planning.

As a Transportation Planner, Caleb intends to encourage multi-modal transportation options and build new bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure in the region. He has a special interest in Geographic Information Systems and data analysis.

Jessica Hagen – Planning Tech

Jessica joins SICOG after a career in the pharmaceutical industry. After spending a few years in North Texas and working in the administrative field she decided it was time to move back to her hometown of Creston to raise her family.  

As a Planning Tech Jessica provides assistance at the public counter and is the primary telephone contact.  She assists with administrative tasks and provides clerical support to all of the SICOG staff.