Poe integral in C.R.’s flood recovery

I am supporting Ann Poe for city council at-large. As executive director of the Rebuild Iowa Office, I worked closely with Poe as the community liaison for Cedar Rapids. She was an integral member of the Iowa Recovery Team and represented the Cedar Rapids community in an outstanding manner.

Poe's commitment and dedication helped the community recover and rebuild from the worst disaster in the history of the state. Her work ethic was second to none as she tirelessly attended meeting after meeting, building relationships and working to remove roadblocks in the recovery programs and help streamline the process for disaster recover. Poe's coordination and synchronization of the recovery programs made a significant difference in the rebuilding process.

National statistics show that 55 percent of businesses impacted by a disaster of this magnitude will be closed within three years. Downtown Cedar Rapids is seeing new businesses opening and more than 80 percent business capacity as a result of the hard work of many people and the development and funding of numerous new business programs. These new business programs may never have happened without Poe's persistence and determination to help downtown businesses recover and rebuild.

Poe always has had the best interest of Cedar Rapids at the forefront and that will be her motivation on the council.

Lt. Gen. Ron Dardis

Des Moines