Say Hello to Todd County Development Corporation’s New Executive Director, Leah Wolkow!

“Small towns have my heart so this felt like a great place to be.”

When the opportunity arose for Leah Wolkow to step into the position of Executive Director for Todd County Development Corporation, (TCDC) she didn’t hesitate.

“It was an opportunity to take the next step in my career and lead an organization in a county filled with communities that looked more like the small town that I grew up in.” 

A Lifelong Commitment to the Non-Profit Sector

Wolkow spent her childhood in De Smet, South Dakota, population 1,300. After graduating from high school, she went on to South Dakota State University where she earned a degree in Human Development and Family Studies in 2000.

Her move to Minnesota began eight years later, when she and her husband came to Alexandria with their three boys in tow. Since then, they’ve added a daughter to the mix, and her husband began working in Long Prairie five years ago.

During that same time, Wolklow remained committed to working for a variety of non-profits.

“I spent some time with Child Care Resource and Referral and with Special Olympics Minnesota. Most recently, I worked at Lakes and Prairies United Way which served Douglas, Pope, Otter Tail, Wadena, and part of Todd Counties,” she said.

She gained vast experience connecting people with resources, which felt like a natural transition to this position with TCDC.  

“Now I’m connecting business with resources instead of individuals,” she said. 

Building on the Small Town Values That Will Help Todd County Thrive

As Executive Director, Wolkow will be working with community stakeholders, investors, business owners and residents to identify and prioritize the path going forward.

“We just talked about this at our December Board Meeting and the ongoing priorities for Todd County are: Attainable Housing, Broadband, and Child Care. If an area is strong in these categories, I believe that will be a huge selling point for retaining existing businesses and attracting new!” she said.

It’s also an opportunity for her to collaborate with community members when it comes to turning challenges into opportunities.

“Todd County has one of the lowest average median incomes in the State so the biggest challenges really relate back to our priority areas of Attainable Housing, Broadband, and Child Care. In order to retain businesses and attract new, there needs to be affordable places to live and child care available for working parents. Broadband is also crucial for the digital age that we live in,” she said.

Rather than getting stuck behind those hurdles, Wolkow is determined to move forward in a thoughtful, community-oriented way.

“My vision for Todd County is to turn the challenges of affordable housing shortages, limited broadband access, and child-care gaps into opportunities that strengthen our communities. By improving connectivity, supporting families with reliable child care, and expanding attainable housing, Todd County can attract new businesses, strengthen its workforce, and build on the small-town values that make our communities thrive,” she said. “When these foundational needs are met, parents can pursue meaningful work, employers can grow their workforce, and our communities can flourish together.”

There’s Something Special About Smaller Communities

She also relished the chance to continue contributing to the growth and evolution of Todd County.

“Todd County is a lot like the place I grew up; small communities where people know everyone. There is something special about smaller communities and I’m excited to be in Todd County,” she said.

As we welcome Wolkow to our team, TCDC would also like to thank Rick Utech for his many years of dedication to the region, even answering a call to come out of retirement to serve as our interim director for the past few months. 
We are honored to have enjoyed his leadership and wish him all the very best as he opens the next chapter of his (hopefully for real this time) retirement!