I have the noble dream of leaving the world a better place: by honoring those that have stepped up when there was a need, thanking those that have extended a hand and helping those that may need assistance. I want my grandchildren to have opportunities that eluded me and I want the community to continue improving so our children are proud to call it home. Lofty but realistic goals.

How do you balance your work and family life?

Being self-employed, I am able to control my schedule so if the need arises I can rearrange my appointments around family activities. That being said, I can also say that a lot of family vacations have been combined with continuing education classes for work. There have been times where I have confused my priorities, but for the most part I would say that the demands of work and family have blended well.

What do you like best about Fort Dodge?

The community is very supportive and giving to projects that address a need in the area. I’ve seen it personally with the Hospice House, Veterans Memorial Park and the Backpack Buddies program but you don’t have to look too hard to see further examples — PICA, Harlan Rogers, the Bandshell, the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flights, Stay-A-Breast, the Fort Museum and Frontier Village, Kayla Jones Memorial Run, Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash and Shellabration come to mind. Each of these started with an idea that became a reality and the community benefited from them. We were fortunate to have the Smeltzer and Deardorf families leave a legacy that continues to benefit various activities in the city. I defy anyone to show me another community where the residents volunteer their time and money the way Fort Dodgers do.

What are you building for our future?

Fort Dodge is welcoming new residents at a pace that we haven’t seen for decades with the growth of the Iowa Crossroads of Global Innovation and the new Prestage Foods of Iowa plant north of town. Because of this influx of young people, we need to look at our housing stock and recreational activities to attract and retain them to our community. New housing is booming throughout the community, but we are also looking at ways to rejuvenate older houses into desirable and affordable residences for young families. Economic development plans that involve housing have a set aside that requires funds be spent on low and moderate income housing and we have been working on several projects to bring improved housing for the community. Recreationally, new trails are being built, the REC center plans are advancing and the removal of the dams on the Des Moines River will allow riverfront development. All of these will enable us to draw more people into our community to live, work, play and shop.

What are you working hardest on?

There are several projects that are in the planning stages that will make a great impact on the community. Top of the list is the renovation of the historical Warden Plaza and the addition of a new REC center in downtown. This has been a long, frustrating process, but the pieces are falling into place under the guidance of our city staff and advisors. The plans for Oleson Park have been formalized and soon some of the work will start to rejuvenate this important part of the city. The Fort Dodge Public Art Coalition is pursuing the beautification of our city and soon the council will address utilizing a portion of every capital improvement project specifically for bringing more art into our lives. I am also in the early stages of planning a men’s community group that will fund various projects and people that need assistance. It is tentatively called Impact Fort Dodge. Similar in concept to the Study Club and 100 Women Who Care, the members will propose and vote on projects that need some help to achieve their goals. Not only would the group provide financial support, the members can also be hands on to assist the recipient’s projects.