I told her that Iowa was doing exactly that. And as if to prove the point, I just got a letter from the Iowa Department of Economic Development earlier this week, inviting me to an Iowa Alumni and Friends Reception here in Washington, DC, later this month. By attending the reception, I can "learn more about the exciting opportunities created by Iowa's dynamic companies." Ooh, sounds exciting!
Well, maybe exciting is the wrong word. But what the heck, I'll go. I do like Iowa a lot, and while I have no immediate plans or desires to move there, it is a place to which I would definitely consider moving. I would have stayed in Iowa following graduation if I'd been able to find a job. But at that time (1991) Cedar Rapids was still primarily a blue collar city, and there just weren't many job opportunities available for a liberal arts graduate.
Like I say, I doubt I'm going to come away from this reception with a burning desire to move back to Iowa. But it should be fun nonetheless.