Chamber chair cites difficulties businesses face in today's world
By Dave Dreeszen ddreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Rita Grimm, chair of the Siouxand Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, is shown in front of her law office on Historic Fourth Street. (Staff photo by Tim Hynds)
SIOUX CITY -- At the Heidman law firm, the decor in Rita Grimm's fourth-floor office is most true to te firm's turn of-the-century on Historic Fourth Street.
As a hobby, Grimm collects depression glass and antique quarter sawn oak furniture. Two years ago, when her firm moved to the restored Evans Block, Grimm brought along her 1890s-era desk, along with other furnishings from the late 19th and early 20th century.
Grimm, raised on a farm in northeast Nebraska near Bloomfield, joined the Heidman firm in 1991, and has been a partner since 1996.
Practicing workers compensation law primarily in Iowa, she has emerged as a leading voice on the subject, serving on several committee, giving lectures and helping to draft legislation.
She also has been active in the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce's transporation and government affairs committee. This month, she began a one-year term as chairwoman of the Chamber's board of director. Grimm sat down Tuesday with the Journal's Dave Dreeszen to discuss her new office, workers compensation, the coming elections and her ties to the tri-state region.
Q: At the Chamber's annual dinner earlier this month, you talked about your first visit to Sioux City as a young girl.
A: I saw Sioux City for the first time from a cab of a truck, as we were bringing hogs to the stockyards. It was dark and I was really tired because we had gotten up at o-dark thirty. Either my sister or I went with our dad on these trips. The primary purpose was to keep dad awake. Of course, nine times out fo 10 we fell asleep.
Q: You returned to the Sioux City area 20 years ago, after joining the legal department at IBP inc.
A: My first job out of law school was in Ogalah, Neb. It was a nice community. But I was a young single woman that didn't hunt or fish so there wasn't much there for me.... People in Ogalloa. said, 'I can't believe you're going to Sioux City, do you know how yucky Sioux City?' And these were people in Ogalaha.
The change when I came back to Sioux City in '88 was amazing. Even more amazing in the years since then. We've done so much over the past 20 years. Look what we've done with riverfront, the Orpheum. It's a community to be proud of.''
Q: What could Iowa lawmakers do to improve the state's workers' compensation laws?
A: "What I'd like to see is greater recognition of efforts by employers to accommodate injuries. As it currently stands, there is no incentive for an employer to keep on an employee who has been injured because efforts to accomodate don't reduce the employees' reward... The award is going to be the same whether they accommodate or they termine the employment.
Q: What led you to get involved with the Siouxland Chamber?
A: They get things done. I'm impressed with that. I'm on a lot of committess that frankly sit around and talk.... The Chamber does so many things behind the scenes that people don't realize. The Chamber has been instrument in getting laws passed that helped Siouxland.
Q: What's the biggest challenge facing the local business community?
A: We have elections coming up. If things go the way they appear they'll going to go, it's going to get more challenging for businesses to continue to do business, particularly in Iowa, but also nationwide. Businesses are having enough difficulty now trying to deal with regulations, deal with taxes, deal with rules to try to work through the system to get permits and all that kind of thing, and it's only going to get worse.
There seems to be this sense that if something is good for business, it's not good for the working man. I strongly disagree with that becausey you've got to have businesses in order to have the jobs. If you put too much of a burden on businesses, they can't hire employees, they can't provide benefits.
Rita Grimm
Grew up: Farm near Bloomfield, Neb.
Education: Undergraduate degree, Doane College, Crete, Neb. 1982; Law degree, Unviersity of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1985.
Professional: IBP inc. legal department, 1988-1991; Heidman, Redmond, Fredregill, patterson, Plaza, Dykstra Prahl law firm, 1991 to present.
Family: Married to Bob Harris, owner of Computer Service Center, 411 24th St.
As a hobby, Grimm collects depression glass and antique quarter sawn oak furniture. Two years ago, when her firm moved to the restored Evans Block, Grimm brought along her 1890s-era desk, along with other furnishings from the late 19th and early 20th century.
Grimm, raised on a farm in northeast Nebraska near Bloomfield, joined the Heidman firm in 1991, and has been a partner since 1996.
Practicing workers compensation law primarily in Iowa, she has emerged as a leading voice on the subject, serving on several committee, giving lectures and helping to draft legislation.
She also has been active in the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce's transporation and government affairs committee. This month, she began a one-year term as chairwoman of the Chamber's board of director. Grimm sat down Tuesday with the Journal's Dave Dreeszen to discuss her new office, workers compensation, the coming elections and her ties to the tri-state region.
Q: At the Chamber's annual dinner earlier this month, you talked about your first visit to Sioux City as a young girl.
A: I saw Sioux City for the first time from a cab of a truck, as we were bringing hogs to the stockyards. It was dark and I was really tired because we had gotten up at o-dark thirty. Either my sister or I went with our dad on these trips. The primary purpose was to keep dad awake. Of course, nine times out fo 10 we fell asleep.
Q: You returned to the Sioux City area 20 years ago, after joining the legal department at IBP inc.
A: My first job out of law school was in Ogalah, Neb. It was a nice community. But I was a young single woman that didn't hunt or fish so there wasn't much there for me.... People in Ogalloa. said, 'I can't believe you're going to Sioux City, do you know how yucky Sioux City?' And these were people in Ogalaha.
The change when I came back to Sioux City in '88 was amazing. Even more amazing in the years since then. We've done so much over the past 20 years. Look what we've done with riverfront, the Orpheum. It's a community to be proud of.''
Q: What could Iowa lawmakers do to improve the state's workers' compensation laws?
A: "What I'd like to see is greater recognition of efforts by employers to accommodate injuries. As it currently stands, there is no incentive for an employer to keep on an employee who has been injured because efforts to accomodate don't reduce the employees' reward... The award is going to be the same whether they accommodate or they termine the employment.
Q: What led you to get involved with the Siouxland Chamber?
A: They get things done. I'm impressed with that. I'm on a lot of committess that frankly sit around and talk.... The Chamber does so many things behind the scenes that people don't realize. The Chamber has been instrument in getting laws passed that helped Siouxland.
Q: What's the biggest challenge facing the local business community?
A: We have elections coming up. If things go the way they appear they'll going to go, it's going to get more challenging for businesses to continue to do business, particularly in Iowa, but also nationwide. Businesses are having enough difficulty now trying to deal with regulations, deal with taxes, deal with rules to try to work through the system to get permits and all that kind of thing, and it's only going to get worse.
There seems to be this sense that if something is good for business, it's not good for the working man. I strongly disagree with that becausey you've got to have businesses in order to have the jobs. If you put too much of a burden on businesses, they can't hire employees, they can't provide benefits.
Rita Grimm
Grew up: Farm near Bloomfield, Neb.
Education: Undergraduate degree, Doane College, Crete, Neb. 1982; Law degree, Unviersity of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1985.
Professional: IBP inc. legal department, 1988-1991; Heidman, Redmond, Fredregill, patterson, Plaza, Dykstra Prahl law firm, 1991 to present.
Family: Married to Bob Harris, owner of Computer Service Center, 411 24th St.
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