“I was born and raised in this area. If something is not here, that I wish was here, how do I make that happen,” Boerner said.

Boerner is office manager for Webster Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association in Gowrie and serves as Gowrie Development Commission secretary.

“I am fortunate to work for Webster Calhoun who allows me to work with all of or communities from an economic standpoint, so I am very fortunate Webster Calhoun allows me to do this and participate in this and all of these things,” she said

As GDC secretary, Boerner said she helps to keep the commission organized, but her duties have also turned in to a lot of marketing opportunities for the city of Gowrie with work done to the website, social media accounts and she said she also puts together the master schedule for the Fourth of July celebration.

“I try to coordinate activities not only for the GDC, but I try to coordinate activities for the businesses, keep communication going around town,” she said.

Boerner said there has been a lot of progress within the GDC over the last few years.

“We have re-energized each other,” she said. “One of the things I have helped with this is, we have revitalized the website, and I make the changes and maintain the site. A lot of the photos on the site I have taken.”

Branching out further onto social media is also something Boerner is working on through the GDC.

“I am pretty excited about the fact that our Facebook page has continued to grow,” she said. “We are just trying to get Gowrie’s presence online more through the website and social media.”

The GDC, Boerner said, is evolving in other ways as well.

“We have improved our membership as a group. We are getting a lot more involved with our businesses, and we are going towards a good direction,” she said. “And that’s by everybody working together.”

Boerner said the GDC has been increasing its efforts to collaborate with the mayor and the utilities as well.

“We’re all working together in a joint effort,” she said.

To help encourage more people to come to live in Gowrie, Boerner said the housing committee of the GDC is plugging its Go Build in Gowrie campaign.

“The idea behind that is we have always had a tax abatement, and now we are offering builders to take those funds up front, rather than over a period of time,” she said.

Boerner added that the Image Committee of the GDC worked to get new planter boxes placed throughout Gowrie this year and other areas have also made improvements, and the Beautification Committee works to keep Gowrie beautiful by promoting a Yard of the Week throughout the summer.

“All of the groups are making progress within their committee areas,” she said.

Boerner said there are several ways to get involved within a community.

“There’s always something that can be done,” she said. “It’s not always big projects. It’s those little pieces that if everyone works together can accomplish something big. Even for the GDC perspective, we split out into committees, and those committees have people to be able to spread out and get the work done.”

For example, Boerner said the GDC goes to the image committees, the Image Committee worked to get the new planter boxes, then looked toward the local 4-H club to help plant them.

“You don’t have to take on those big projects, you can just help with a little piece of it,” she said. “For beautification, we have Yard of the Week. We have some people that all they want to do is volunteer and they go pick a house. That’s one less thing the GDC has to do. Volunteering isn’t always a big project; it may be a little task here or there that makes a big difference.”

So why does Boerner do all that she does for the city of Gowrie?

“It goes back to that I live here and I work here. It’s a small town. I want to see Gowrie prosper and grow, and in order to do that, you have to step up and do the things you want to see done,” she said. “A lot of people can have a lot of good ideas and everything, but not everybody is willing to do those things, so I try to do what I can.”

Kevin Black, president and chief executive officer of Heartland Bank and a board member of the GDC, said Gowrie is extremely fortunate to have Boerner to serve on the GDC and other committees and organizations.

“It is not widely known, but she dedicates a large number of hours each week promoting our great community,” said Black. “She is very talented in her marketing skills, which greatly benefits Gowrie by getting our positive message out. Her passion and leadership skills to create change is exactly what Gowrie needs at this time in our long history. Gowrie continues to be a great place to live and raise a family because of people like Marcie that step up and give their time and talents to improve the community.”