KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: ED RABER

I am seeking to serve as a Kirkwood Community College Trustee to bring my experience in workforce development, community planning, education and employer partnerships, student career exploration, organizational planning, and skills training to help grow and strengthen Kirkwood to the benefit of Washington and Johnson Counties, and to the Creative Corridor region.

Kirkwood has taken an expansive role in transforming all educational pathways in the Corridor. With additions like the new Regional Education Centers in Johnson and Washington Counties, Kirkwood is becoming a key player in K-12 education, not just skills training and Associates degrees.

I want to bring more community dialog and openness to Kirkwood's facilities and educational planning.

My day job is as the long-time director of the non-profit Washington Economic Development Group that serves the greater Washington County area in the Iowa City metro area.

I have a history of area leadership and community service. I am a Rotarian and currently or recently have served on numerous non-profit boards including HACAP, United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation, the Washington County Y, Workplace Learning Connection, Washington County Community Foundation, East Central Iowa Council of Governments, and East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund.

For my service, I am humbled to have received a number of awards including the Washington Chamber of Commerce's 'Citizen of the Year for 2010,” the Corridor Business Journal's 'Forty under 40” in 2006, and the Iowa 'Governor's Volunteer Award” in 2015.

My family includes my wife Ericka, a Librarian at the University of Iowa and a retiring School Board member on the Washington School District, and two school-age children.

The Kirkwood Community College Board of Trustees has nine members that represent the seven-county region. Kirkwood's District 4 includes the Highland, Lone Tree, Mid-Prairie, Washington and portions of the Iowa City school sistricts.

' More information: raber.ed@gmail.com; www.linkedin.com/in/edraber