Deb Cottier Retires After 16 Years As Executive Director of the NNDC

Today, the Northwest Nebraska Development Corporation (NNDC) celebrates the career and achievements of Deb Cottier and wishes her well as she steps into retirement. Throughout her tenure as executive director, Cottier brought stability, wisdom, and a deep understanding of the histories and personalities of Chadron, Crawford, and the surrounding area. Her drive, patience, and determination to find common ground have definitively made this corner of Nebraska a better place for all.

A Career in Building Chadron’s Community

Beginning in advertising sales for the local paper and ending as the executive director of the NNDC, Cottier faithfully served the businesses and people of Chadron for 45 years. After five years in advertising, Cottier became the executive director of the Chadron Chamber in 1985, launching what would become a flourishing, award-winning career in the public sector. She’d go on to help staff Ben Nelson’s tenures as Nebraska’s governor and senator from 1992 to 2007 before taking a position at NE Life Magazine as their advertising manager. When the NNDC executive director position opened in 2009, Cottier was a natural fit.

As the NNDC’s executive director over the last 16 years, Cottier has planned and executed numerous projects and initiatives that have strengthened small business support, created new jobs, attracted capital investment, and revitalized major community areas in Chadron. Under Cottier’s stewardship, Chadron earned the Economic Development Certified Community certification from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development in 2012 and its recertification in 2017, a clear acknowledgment of the city’s readiness and aptitude to attract and grow businesses. In that time, over 140 jobs were created and over $75 million were invested into new business, including the city’s very own Holiday Inn Express.

“Since I’ve known Deb, I've always been impressed with her patience as well as her ability to connect with people and find common ground on issues,” says current NNDC Board President Drew Pope. “The number of connections and relationships she has maintained and fostered throughout her time as the NNDC director exemplifies the traits I think are most important in this field: She is a genuine person, she is honest, and she cares.”  

Cottier shepherded Chadron and Crawford’s businesses through the COVID shutdowns via special programming, including financial grants and a matching gift card program. Additional support was provided to business owners applying for Paycheck Protection Program assistance. And, in partnership with Chadron’s Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Nebraska Tourism, and the Nebraska Department of Labor, the NNDC hosted the community’s first drive-by job fair to link local talent with employers despite the ongoing pandemic.

Deb Goes to D.C.

Alongside her work with the NNDC, Cottier chairs the legislative committee of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA) and has served as representative of the Heartland Expressway Association. Both ventures have taken the adopted Nebraskan to Washington D.C., where Cottier has led advocacy efforts for small businesses, testified on bills, and secured appropriations for furthering the critical Heartland Expressway in the region.

“Deb’s been a lead advocate for helping construct legislation, protect critical programs, and kill bad legislation,” says Dan Curran, executive director of the Nebraska Business Development Center. “This kind of work takes time and relationship skills. She doesn’t get enough credit for her work with the legislature. All of Nebraska has benefitted from her work.”

Turkey Hunts and Other Trophies

In 2010, Cottier returned everyone’s attention to the scenic buttes, canyons, and forests of the Pine Ridge region of Northwest Nebraska with the revival of the Governor’s Pine Ridge Wild Turkey Hunt. Held annually every October, the Governor’s Pine Ridge Turkey Hunt is an invite-only, guided hunt where state and local leaders come together to strengthen relationships and support area businesses sponsoring the event while tracking the region’s wild turkey. Cottier ran the event from 2010 to 2022 and was awarded the Prominent Partner Award of Excellence from the NE Game & Parks Commission for her contributions. The event remains one of the most popular in the region.

The Games & Parks Commission isn’t the only organization to have recognized Cottier’s exemplary leadership throughout her career. The Chadron Chamber of Commerce presented the Magic Key Award to Cottier in 2014, and the NEDA recognized Cottier as their Professional of the Year in 2017 for her continued commitment to economic growth and championing of business and community.

The Good Life Ahead

Cottier’s next venture involves spending time with family and friends, making travel plans with her husband, and taking the rod and tackle out for a little fishing. To absolutely no one’s surprise, she’ll remain a staunch advocate of the Heartland Expressway.

Deb Cottier’s retirement is well-earned and more than deserved. The NNDC stands in awe of and in gratitude for her many years of service to this organization and the city of Chadron. Congratulations, Deb!