Iowa Native Reverses ‘Brain Drain’ Trend, Trades Skyscrapers for Small Town Banks
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Kelly Moore (for Bank Iowa)
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(Clear Lake, Iowa – November 24th, 2025) — For artist and designer Josh Bridie, returning to Iowa to lead the interior design of Bank Iowa’s new Clear Lake branch is more than a professional commission. It’s a homecoming.
After decades working for global design firms on projects in San Francisco, Europe and Asia, Bridie is reinvesting the skills he acquired elsewhere back into the state that raised him.
Brought up in Clarinda, Bridie left Iowa three decades ago to pursue dual degrees in art and architecture through a cooperative program between Central College and Washington University in St. Louis. It was an arrangement his mother helped make possible with what he calls “a little Midwestern persistence.” After earning his degrees in the mid-1990s, Bridie launched a design career that took him from St. Louis to San Francisco and around the world.
Iowa continues to face one of the nation’s highest rates of out-migration among college-educated workers, a “brain drain” that has hit rural and small-town communities especially hard.
At a time when many young professionals seek to leave Iowa, Bridie’s return adds a hopeful note to the idea of an Iowa “brain gain,” the notion of homegrown talent coming back with new skills, broader experience and wider networks.
After nearly two decades with global design leaders HOK and Gensler, directing the design of millions of square feet for some of the world's most recognized companies, Bridie spent eight years at the helm of interior design for Google. Ultimately, the pull of home won out. Years of red-eye flights and back-to-back deadlines gave way to a desire for something more grounded.
“At 53, I was ready to trade the global grind for something more hands-on,” he said. “After years of leading projects from a distance, I wanted to be close enough to touch every detail. The engagement with Bank Iowa gives me the chance to do everything from high-level design strategy to hand-picking fabrics and finishes.
“I’ve been fortunate to experience some of the world’s greatest art and architecture, but I’m still that kid from small-town Iowa who knows what it feels like to walk into a space that doesn’t feel genuine or welcoming,” continued Bridie. “With Bank Iowa, I get to create spatial experiences that feel inclusive to everyone, whether they come through the doors in a power suit or coveralls.”
Bridie’s pursuit of inclusive spaces now anchors the interiors of several Bank Iowa locations, including Clear Lake, which has kickstarted a statewide bank location refresh. The concept blends consistency across locations with local touches that resonate with each community.
“These are places where farmers, families and small-business owners trust the bank with everything they own,” Bridie explained. “The design should feel like someone considered who’d be coming by for a visit. Inviting and beautiful, yet approachable enough to make every client feel at home.”
To bring this vision to life at Bank Iowa locations across the state, Bridie is collaborating with a Southern California studio led by two Iowa-born designers and graduates of Iowa State University. In Clear Lake, they created custom wall coverings and art installations that highlight local landmarks and rural backroads, a celebration of place that’s both refined and familiar.
Bank Iowa CEO Jim Plagge said the partnership underscores the bank’s people-centered philosophy.
“Our goal has always been to design spaces that reflect the communities we serve,” Plagge said. “Working with a world-renowned Iowa native who understands our communities so deeply is making this project especially meaningful.”
The Clear Lake branch opened on June 2, 2025, joining more than 20 Bank Iowa locations across the state.
About Bank Iowa
With more than $2 billion in assets, Bank Iowa ranks as one of the leading independent ag banks and the second-largest family-owned bank in the state. Farmers, families, and businesses access Bank Iowa’s products and services through more than 20 locations, as well as online and on mobile devices.