Iowa West Elects New Board Member

Iowa West’s Board of Directors recently elected a new board member to serve a 3-year term. Steve Baumert, CEO of Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, brings decades of experience to the role, having served on a number of nonprofit boards throughout southwest Iowa including the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce and the Southwest Iowa Foundation.

“Steve’s familiarity with the community, along with his proven leadership capabilities made him an excellent board member candidate,” said Matt Gronstal, Iowa West Foundation Board Chair. “His wealth of knowledge from economic development to entrepreneurship along with his demonstrated commitment to Council Bluffs will be an enormous asset to our organization.”

“My career motto has been to engage and make a positive difference,” Baumert said. “I believe in Council Bluffs, and throughout my career have worked to improve and strengthen our community. This aligns well with Iowa West’s vision, and I hope to continue the significant impact they’ve made on the community.”

In addition to Baumert’s election, members of the Iowa West Foundation and the Iowa West Racing Association board re-elected officers for 2021. Those members include:

• Matt Gronstal of Council Bluffs, IWF Chair;
• Tara Slevin of Council Bluffs, IWF Vice-Chair;
• Tammy Pavich of Council Bluffs, IWF Secretary/Treasurer;
• Amy Crawford of Council Bluffs, IWRA President;
• Jack Ruesch of Council Bluffs, IWRA Vice-President; and
• Cindy Hume of Council Bluffs, IWRA Secretary-Treasurer

“Our Board members have the significant responsibility of being good stewards of the Foundation’s assets and ensuring that our investments have a lasting impact, said Brenda Mainwaring, President and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation. “We are confident all of our board members will serve as great contributors to achieving the vision of the Iowa West Foundation: a community where families choose to live and businesses choose to locate because of the quality of life and standard of living.”

Nominations for board members are solicited from multiple outside organizations throughout the community including the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce, Council Bluffs City Council, the Council Bluffs Community School District, Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors and Western Iowa Development Association.