1/19/2010 by Beth Bily

At this point in her career, Diane Weber isn't terribly concerned about pay. Instead, this economic developer and certified public accountant is focusing her efforts on a "pay it forward" approach.

She's working as interim president of the nonprofit Itasca Economic Development Corp., a position she took on after retiring in 2006 from UPM's North American unit in Chicago as chief financial officer.

Earlier, Weber worked as a public accountant, as corporate controller for UPM's Blandin Paper Co., developed a new global finance system for the parent firm and even worked for time as an accounting instructor at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids. In the early 1980s she was the development corporation's chief executive, the post she now holds on an interim basis.

"Diane's career has come full circle," said Iron Range Resources Commissioner Sandy Layman, who has known Weber professionally for more than 20 years. "Now, she brings back a rich resume teaching and working in the private sector."

While her career has been varied, she has embraced her returning role to Grand Rapids in economic development. "There seemed to be a lot of potential here," said Weber, explaining why she accepted the interim position. "I was intrigued from the very beginning by the Ainsworth site and the possibility that IEDC could acquire that site."

That "Ainsworth site" is the oriented strand board manufacturing plant Vancouver, British Columbia-based Ainsworth shuttered in 2006. The closure cost the Grand Rapids area nearly 200 jobs.

In November, Weber announced the development corporation had acquired the site and planned to develop it as a multi-tenant eco-industrial park. Terms of the deal were not made public, but Weber did disclose the former OSB plant would need $5 million in renovations.

Local business leaders credit Weber for putting the deal together. "She has her heart and soul in Northeast Minnesota," said Mike Johnson, Itasca Community College provost. "Ainsworth is really her project and it was not an easy project to pull together."

The project came together under less than favorable financial circumstances. The nonprofit development group took a $130,000 funding hit in 2009 when Itasca County commissioners pulled county funding that triggered the loss of a Blandin Foundation matching grant.

The county board had its own budget challenges, and the sometimes-intangible results of economic development efforts may have contributed to the decision.

The development corporation lost one-third of its staff with the funding reduction. "When you're a service organization and you lose staff, you have to cut services," said Weber.

Despite the challenges, Weber pursued the Ainsworth project. Those who know her well said her perseverance wasn't surprising. "Diane has the ability to set goals and execute," said Layman. "If you're in a project with Diane you'd better be ready for action."

While the interim president plans to remain a little longer, she said her tenure likely can be counted in months, not years. "This (position) is not permanent, it was never intended to be permanent," she said. "It gave the organization some breathing room and allowed for rethinking its mission at a time when funding was diminished."

Weber does plan to stay long enough to see the Ainsworth redevelopment with financing in place for reconstruction and an anchor tenant on board. As for what's next for her, she said she envisions herself as an independent contractor working with small businesses but wouldn't divulge details. "Small business is the backbone of both this area and the nation. They provide many of the new jobs in this region," she said.

"I learned a lot from the corporate environment," she said. "Hopefully I am more able to utilize that knowledge to help others."

At this career stage, when giving back is central to all she does, Weber believes she accomplishes her goals when her clients do the same. "I win when I help a client solve their own problems - when I help them find their own way forward," she said. "They lead with me in a supporting role."

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