Kristin Dietzel grew up in Sageville and southern Dubuque County, and after time away for college and early career opportunities, she and her husband Kevin — an Asbury native —returned home in 2009 to raise their family. Their two children, Charlotte and Beckett, attend schools in the Dubuque Community School District. Kristin graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2004, earned a master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 2006, and later completed a Certificate of Analytics from Loras College in 2014.
Since returning to Dubuque, Kristin has dedicated her career to strengthening the region through education, workforce development, and smallbusiness leadership.
From 2009 to 2016, she served Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta as the college’s first Director of Grants and Contracts and later its first Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness. In these roles, she helped secure significant federal, state, and private funding to launch highdemand workforce training programs, oversaw legislative affairs, and led the college’s marketing and communications team.
From 2016 to 2020, Kristin led the Office of Workforce Solutions at Greater Dubuque Development Corporation. There, she oversaw a comprehensive regional strategy focused on workforce recruitment, retention, and education. Her work centered on building strong public/private partnerships to meet the needs of both local employers and the people who power Dubuque’s economy.
In 2021, Kristin stepped into her family’s small business, Painted Sky Designs, which her parents founded in 2003. She now co-leads the company with her brother, helping grow a locally rooted wholesale and retail outdoor furniture business that has served Dubuque County for more than two decades.
Kristin continues to support community newcomers by co-facilitating Greater Dubuque Development’s Distinctively Dubuque program and providing personalized tours for individuals and families considering calling Dubuque home. She also gives back through board service with Dubuque Initiatives, the Dubuque Museum of Art, and the Dubuque Senior Educational Foundation.
In their free time, Kristin and her family can be found exploring Dubuque County’s state and county parks, attending arts events, enjoying live music, and supporting local restaurants, breweries, and supper clubs. Kristin loves Dubuque County and is determined to make it the best place to live, work, and raise a family.