Greater Iowa City, Inc. has some exciting team news to share. We are welcoming new faces and celebrating some well-earned promotions. Nicky Beaurivage joins as MERGE Office and Facilities Manager, Tom Martinez as Community Development Program Manager, and Jordan Colton as Business Support Program Manager. Mackenzie DeRoo advances to Vice President of External Relations and Advocacy, Maria Schussler steps into the role of Events Director, and Evan Doyle moves into a new role as Economic Development Program Director. Learn more about each of them below.
Nicky Beaurivage MERGE Office & Facilities Manager
Nicky Beaurivage is the Office & Facilities Manager at MERGE. She oversees daily operations and is the primary point of contact for conference room rentals, co-working memberships, and private office needs at both MERGE and CoWork @ 808. Prior to joining Greater IC, Nicky worked in Student-Athlete Academic Services within the University of Iowa’s Intercollegiate Athletics Department and served as Associate Project Coordinator for the City of Coralville on the Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse project in the Iowa River Landing district. Outside of work, Nicky also operates Wheel Good Ice Cream, a mobile ice cream bicycle she brings to community events.
Tom Martinez Community Development Program Manager
Tom Martinez is the Community Development Program Manager at Greater IC, where he leads initiatives focused on community and workforce development.
He began his work in the Iowa City area in 2022 as an AmeriCorps member with the Coralville Community Food Pantry, where he developed and implemented a summer lunch program to expand food access for local youth. He joined the Pantry’s Board of Directors in 2024.
Tom earned his master’s degree in political science from the University of Iowa in 2025, specializing in American politics, public policy, and methodology. He then completed a fellowship with Common Good Iowa, a nonprofit think tank in Des Moines, where he focused on policy analysis, policymaker engagement, and coalition building, with an emphasis on social policy, bureaucratic politics, and local-state relations.
He also brings experience in cross-sector collaboration, including work with the Johnson County Food Access Network and the Johnson County Nonprofit Collective, both of which focus on strengthening coordination and support systems across local organizations.
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tom has lived in the Iowa City area for nearly five years with his partner, Levi, who is part of the University of Iowa’s Medical Scientist Training Program.
Jordan Colton Business Support Program Manager
Jordan Colton is the Business Support Program Manager for Greater IC, where she supports local businesses and entrepreneurs through strategic programming and community engagement initiatives, including oversight of the Business Resource Center and leadership of 1 Million Cups Iowa City. Through this work, she helps strengthen the regional business ecosystem and empower entrepreneurs and small businesses to thrive across Johnson County.
Jordan earned her BBA in Marketing Management from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, where she was selected for the Marketing Institute, a competitive, multi-semester program that pairs students with real-world clients to deliver data-driven marketing strategy and consulting projects. Following graduation, she spent three years with Women Lead Change, leading events and marketing efforts that advanced leadership development and economic impact across the state.
With a background in nonprofit engagement, marketing strategy, and program coordination, Jordan brings a collaborative and community-focused approach to supporting businesses and strengthening regional partnerships.
Mackenzie DeRoo Vice President, External Relations & Advocacy
Mackenzie DeRoo has been promoted to Vice President, External Relations & Advocacy. In this role, Mackenzie will lead the organization’s strategic communication and events in addition to its public policy efforts. Mackenzie joined Greater IC in 2023 where she has been instrumental in building the strategy for local, state, and federal advocacy and strengthening the Community Leadership Program (CLP).
Prior to joining Greater IC, Mackenzie worked at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, where she built successful programs to support businesses and help them connect with students and faculty. She began her career in economic development over a decade ago leading member relations and communications at the then Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Mackenzie is a graduate of the Community Leadership Program and a Corridor Business Journal “Forty Under 40” honoree. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature and History from Concordia College and her master’s degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Iowa.
Maria Schussler Events Director
Maria Schussler has been promoted to Events Director for Greater Iowa City, Inc., where she leads the planning, logistics, and execution of the organization’s signature events. Over the past three and a half years, since joining the Iowa City Area Business Partnership in August 2022, Maria has played a key role in elevating the quality, consistency, and overall experience of events across the region.
In her current role, she directs major title events such as the Annual Meeting, Golf Classic, A Toast to Business, and Excellence in Action, while also overseeing the ribbon cutting program and serving as the primary event liaison for additional programs and initiatives. Her work spans event operations, backend planning, event and graphic design, marketing, project and timeline management, day-of execution and task distribution, invoicing, sponsorship coordination, and ongoing communication with attendees, businesses, and community partners.
Maria brings an attendee-focused mindset to every event, ensuring participants feel prepared and supported so they can fully engage and enjoy the experience. With a background in weddings, floral design, and entrepreneurship, she brings creativity, attention to detail, and a strong understanding of both the vendor and business owner experience, allowing her to thoughtfully support partners, staff, and deliver seamless events.
Evan Doyle Economic Development Program Director
Evan Doyle has been promoted to Economic Development Program Director. In his new role, Evan will head many of the organization’s economic development initiatives such as the Economic Development Innovation Council, the Business Retention & Expansion Survey, site selection requests, and data collection and dissemination regarding workforce, business, and quality of life data.
Evan has been on the Greater IC team since June 2024, initially serving as a Community & Economic Development Program Manager. In his prior role, Evan led the creation of Greater IC’s first annual Data Digest report, which benchmarks Johnson County against eight peer counties across the country on thirty metrics. As the team’s data expert, Evan also created and published our Community Data Dashboard, an interactive data dashboard that showcases all thirty data points within the Data Digest report. Evan has also assisted the team with the administration of multiple grant programs and the facilitation of internal and external stakeholder groups. Evan holds an M.S. in urban and regional planning and a B.B.A. in economics, both from the University of Iowa.
