board of directors
adam haeder
Adam Haeder is an Operations Manager at the Google data center in Council Bluffs. He has been in IT since the last century, and has had the opportunity to perform just about every technical job there is, from desktop support to network manager to trainer, DBA, programmer, sysadmin and CIO. He holds multiple industry certifications, was the Cisco Regional Networking Academy trainer while at the AIM Institute in Omaha, Neb., and was one of the first Linux trainers in the Midwest. Adam serves on multiple boards and technical advisory committees in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, and his latest book is "LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell" by O'Reilly publishing. Adam lives in Nebraska with his wife and children and enjoys college football, playing chauffeur for his teenagers, and tinkering with the latest electronic gadgets.
becky burgart
Becky Burgart has spent her entire career in education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s degree in FCS Education, both from Iowa State. She began her teaching career at Iowa Western teaching a career and technical childcare class to high school students in Harrison County, transitioned onto the IWCC campus and taught preschool in the lab school while working with college students. In total, she spent 33 years at IWCC, retiring as an academic dean. Becky also served two terms on the Lewis Central School board and was nominated by the governor to the State Empowerment board and served on that board as well as the Pottawattamie County Board. She participated in both Leadership Council Bluffs and Leadership Iowa and is currently involved on the Black Tie Harvest for Scholarship committee at Iowa Western, for which she serves as the Chair-Elect for the Christian Home Association Foundation board.
Cara trede - President
Cara currently serves as the Executive Director of Career EdVantage SWI. Cara received her bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa, and master's degree from Bellevue University. Cara also serves on the Impact CB Board of Directors. Cara and her family reside in Council Bluffs.
Carrie booms ryan
Carrie is currently an English teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School where she serves as a senior class sponsor. She previouslyI taught at Wilson Middle School where she was the TAG strategist and developed an advanced language arts curriculum for middle school students as well as at Thomas Jefferson High School where she taught CE Composition and CE American Literature, while also holding many other coordinator and mentor positions. She has dedicated much of her career to helping students acquire scholarships.
Chris LaFerla - treasurer
Chris serves as Executive Director of the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation. Previously, Chris worked at Iowa Western Community College as Dean of Admissions and Records. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, he earned an Associate's degree from Iowa Western, Bachelor's degree from Simpson College, and Master's degree from Gonzaga University. In addition to serving on the SWIEF board of directors, Chris is also a member of the Council Bluffs Community School District Board of Education. Chris and his wife, Lea, have two daughters and reside in Council Bluffs.
Deb Goodman
Deb retired from the Council Bluffs School District after a 33 year career where she taught history, journalism, business, was a school-to-career-coordinator, and the CTE curriculum specialist. Prior to teaching she spent 4 years in the finance and insurance industries. She is a Thomas Jefferson graduate with an education degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a business degree from Buena Vista University. Deb serves on the TJ Hall of Fame Committee and the Iowa Western Black Tie Committee. She also does consulting for Career and Technical Education. She resides in Council Bluffs.
frank w. pechacek, Jr.
In 1984, Frank was a co-founder of Southwest Iowa Educational Foundation, Inc. Frank is the managing partner of the law firm of Willson & Pechacek, P.L.C. He holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Northern Iowa and doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Iowa College of Law. Frank also serves as a director of the Iowa Law School Foundation, Loess Hills Chapter of American Red Cross, Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus Foundation, Investment Committee of the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation and is a commissioner on the Pottawattamie County Civil Service Commission. Frank and his wife, Beth, live in Council Bluffs.
gary funkhouser
Gary is a retired teacher, principal and school superintendent, who served for 50 plus years in the Iowa communities of Gravity, College Springs, Klemme, Oakland, Carson-Macedonia, and Whiting. His last superintendent responsibility was at Treynor, where he and his wife Julie currently live. He received is B.S. degree from N.W. Mo. State, Maryville, M.A. from Colorado State, Greeley, and Specialist in Education degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In his initial years he taught vocal and instrument music, was a high school principal, athletic director and served the last 5 years of his career at Treynor. He is a member the Treynor Optimist Club, is an Iowa Western Ambassador member, and was a local school board member for 10 years. He volunteers because he feels service to others is his "rent" for living. He currently assists with the Treynor High School Quiz Bowl team and is a co-sponsor of the Junior Optimist Service Club at Treynor High School.
jacque mulholland
Jacque is a graduate of Exira High School and the State College of Iowa, completing a degree in Elementary Education and endorsements in Early Childhood and Reading. She has served as a board member for preschool programs in the community and taught in the East Mills Community Schools for 25 years as an elementary classroom teacher, reading specialist and reading consultant. Jacque and her husband, Ed, have three grown children, seven grandchildren and reside in Malvern, Iowa. Jacque is active in church, community activities, the Malvern Area Betterment Association, volunteers in the elementary school and is an Ombudsman for the State of Iowa at On With Life.
john paul
John is President of Western Iowa Mutual Insurance in Council Bluffs and has worked there for more than 30 years. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business, Economies, and Livestock Marketing from Morningside College. John serves on the Children's Square Foundation Board, Jennie Edmundson Foundation Board, People's National Bank
Governing Board, Chamber Agriculture Committee, East Mills Scholarship Committee, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies Welfare Benefit Program, and Mutual Insurance Association of Iowa Legislative Committee. He stays involved with national, state, county, and community activities as well. John and his wife Cathy live near Henderson.
judy o'brien
Judy retired from the Council Bluffs Community School District following an educational career as a teacher, counselor, building principal and secondary education director. She is an Abraham Lincoln High School graduate and received a B.S degree from Colorado State University. She received graduate degrees from Creighton University. Currently, Judy volunteers in a variety of local and state organizations and is an active member of St. John’s Parish at Creighton. Judy resides in Council Bluffs.
Mary beth runge
Mary Beth is currently a district mentor for new high school teachers in the Council Bluffs Community Schools. She previously taught high school Social Studies courses at Thomas Jefferson High School. She earned Master’s Degrees in both Sociology (UNI) and Educational Leadership (UNO). She completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2015 from UNO. She loves gardening and spending time with her friends and family. She is very passionate about education.
molly noon - Vice president
Molly Noon serves as Iowa Western Community College's Vice President of Institutional Advancement, which includes operations of the Iowa Western Foundation along with alumni relations, scholarships, grants, capital campaigns, donor relations, planned giving, and fundraising. She previously served as the Director of the Arts Center at Iowa Western for seven years. Past service includes: the Bluffs Arts Council, Bluffs Downtown, St. Albert Strategic Planning, and the Council Bluffs Guild of the Omaha Symphony. Molly received her Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Iowa and her MPA from the University of Nebraska Omaha. She and her husband Matt Noon are the proud parents to daughter Elizabeth.
nicole lindquist
Nicole Lindquist is the Director of Communications for the Iowa West Foundation. She graduated from West Harrison High School in Mondamin, Iowa and earned her bachelor's degree in Journalism with a minor in Coaching from Iowa State University and also hold a master's in Communications from University of Nebraska Omaha. Mrs. Lindquist also serves on the Council Bluffs Community School District's Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee and the International Baccalaureate Parent Board. In her spare time, she enjoys leading a Girl Scout Troop, coaching basketball, running and reading. She and her husband Rob, along with their three children, reside in Council Bluffs.
steve irvin - secretary
Steve was involved in K-12 education for 38 years as a teacher, coach, athletic director, and school counselor. He served in the Mallard, South Page, and Treynor school districts and was a school counselor at South Page for four years and at Treynor for 11 years. Steve was also a past-president of the Iowa School Counselor Association. Currently, Steve is employed as a student success adviser for ICAN. ICAN is a non-profit organization that provides free college planning and financial aid services to students, families, and schools throughout Iowa.
shawne zuber
Shawne Zuber is a native of Los Angeles, California. He graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from Georgia Southern University in 2001. He worked for Technical Services at Georgia Southern University from 2001 until 2012; first for the Mathematics and Computer Science Dept, and then for the new College of IT. In April of 2012, Shawne accepted a position at Google's data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa as a Hardware Operations Manager.
Susan miller
Susan Miller grew up in Macedonia, married a man who grew up in Oakland and moved to the “middle” in Carson nearly 40 years ago. With an Associate’s degree from Iowa Western and her Bachelor’s degree from Bellevue University, Miller spent more than 40 years in the banking industry before recently retiring. She is known for her involvement with programs and projects that benefit eastern Pottawattamie County like the Carson Business Club and Pottawattamie County Recycling Center Task Force, and can often be found weeding public spaces around town. She and her husband enjoy camping, biking, stock car racing and spending time with their family, especially the grandkids. Fun fact: Susan is a two-time Powder Puff winner at the Blencoe Go-Kart trac.