Eliot Keller honored at annual awards ceremony

Updated: November 16, 2009

At its annual awards celebration the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce revealed recipients of eight awards and celebrated their contributions to our area. “A Toast to Our Communities” was held Thursday, November 5, at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame, 2425 Prairie Meadow Drive, Iowa City.

The Chamber bestowed a special honor, the Russell Slade Award, to beloved leader and General Manager of KZIA, Inc., Eliot Keller. Given to a positive role model and cheerleader for the community who is involved with a broad spectrum of organizations and is willing to prioritize service to the community above personal advantage, the Chamber only awards this honor on rare occasions when special acknowledgment of an outstanding candidate is appropriate. Keller’s daughter Nicole accepted the award on his behalf.

Nominations were submitted by community members and recipients were selected through online voting on the Chamber’s Web site. Breaking last year’s debut online voting record of 300, more than 1,170 individuals logged on to cast their vote for the nominees.

Guests sampled wines, tasted delectable hors d’oeuvres and enjoyed jazz music by Tom Nothnagle as we honored fellow Chamber members who have made unique contributions to our community.

The Chamber also announced its newest board members and named its 2010 board chair. Adam Bohr of McClure Engineering, Mike Hahn of McComas-Lacina Construction and Faye Swift of Red’s Alehouse will join the Chamber’s Board of Directors in January. Charles Funk of MidWestOne Bank will serve as the board chair in 2010. Craig Willis of Willis & Willis Attorneys at Law and Security Abstract Company was also announced as the 2010 board secretary and 2012 chairman.

Award recipients (Excerpts from nominations)
Russell Slade Award: Eliot Keller. Eliot is and has been a dedicated advocate for the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce. His gifts of volunteer service have lasting impact in the region and have created a ripple effect, causing results and leading others to witness and emulate the gift of self. Eliot’s extraordinary record of volunteering has furthered the interests of the Iowa City area and our citizens. His pragmatic thinking denotes outstanding achievement in his many areas of interest and talents.

Sponsored by ACT- Small Business of the Year: Crisis Center. As the first call for those in crisis, the Crisis Center is led by one full-time employee and staffed by more than 80 dedicated volunteers. The Crisis Center Hotline is answered 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year with compassion, care and referrals to long-term care. Crisis Center flood case advocates continue to seek out flooded homeowners, identifying and securing resources and offering emotional support.

Due to the economic climate, the Crisis Center Food Bank program is responding to a dramatic increase in new clients and an increased need from current clients. The hard work of just two staff members and 150 volunteers, the support of the community and the strategic use of the Food Bank’s resources ensures no one goes home empty-handed.

Economic Development: The Iowa Children’s Museum. The Iowa Children’s Museum has an economic development impact of $2.6 million per year, according to the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. This impact is derived from the visitors who attend the museum from outside of Johnson County. Awareness of the Iowa Children’s Museum continues to increase due to a comprehensive schedule of advertising & promotions throughout the state and by service on the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association Board.

This year, the Iowa Children’s Museum received over $1 million in grants from outside of Johnson County for its new “Take Flight! the science of aviation” exhibit. The museum is dedicated to spending this funding locally, infusing more than $1 million in the local economy. The museum also strives to Buy Here, spending 96 percent of its budget locally in the last fiscal.

Sponsored by Rockwell Collins, Inc. - Diversity and Inclusion: Pearson. Pearson leads the way in its commitment to diversity and inclusion. It offers paid leave for workers to care for family members, same-sex domestic partner benefits, full pay for employees on military leave and working arrangements that provide for telecommuting, job sharing, flex time and a compressed summer work week.

Women comprise approximately 60 percent of Pearson’s workforce while the majority of its first-line managers are women. Working Mother Magazine named Pearson to its 2009 list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers.”

Also in 2009, Pearson was named a “Best Employer for Workers over 50” by AARP, a “Top Employer for Female Executives” by the Association of Female Executives and was recognized by the Iowa Women’s Foundation.

Sponsored by Asoyia, LLC - Honored Farm Family: Mike and Nancy Waldschmidt. Mike and Nancy Waldschmidt are excellent stewards of the land and use the latest technology in their operation. Located two miles northeast of Hills, part of their operation is a partnership with Mike’s parents, Ron and Mary Ann Waldschmidt.

Mike is past president of the Johnson County Pork Producers and served on the Johnson County Fair Board for six years and on the Johnson County Extension Council for four years.

Together, Mike and Nancy actively serve St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in a variety of ways, including past service on the parish council. The Waldschmidt’s have four children who are active in school activities and exhibit their 4-H projects at the Johnson County Fair.

Sponsored by Mississippi Valley Regional Blood - Chamber Volunteer of the Year: Bill Montgomery (Employed by Copyworks). Bill Montgomery’s actions demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the success of both the community and the Chamber. He understands the importance of the Chamber’s big picture work, evangelizing the relevance of community and economic development for the greater good. He also recognizes the significance of welcoming members and rarely misses ribbon cuttings, roundtables, Business PMs and title events.

Bill’s loyalty is evident in his involvement as an Ambassador, North Liberty Steering Committee Chair and Total Resource Campaign volunteer. He is proactive and eager to share his talents to move the committee, event or project forward. His good nature and thoughtful gesture make him a joy to be around. Bill is truly a friend of the Chamber and most deserving of this honor.

Spark Leadership Award (new in 2009): Tom Walljasper (Employed by University of Iowa Health Care). Tom, who is a member of the Chamber’s Community Leadership Program (CLP) sweet sixteen class of 2005-6, is very active in the CLP, serving in a leadership role for the last several years. He understands the importance of the CLP and is dedicated to the development of community leaders in our area.

Tom is also dedicated to the development of future leaders and supports Girl Scouting by assisting with the Women in Science event and Girls Go Global- Healthier Horizons. Generally speaking, when Tom's involved, it's going to be a fun and high quality experience. Tom is always willing to lend a helping hand, to take time to guide and lead. He's quiet about how he does it, but accomplishes a great deal. He truly has carried out the commitment he made to get involved and make a difference in our community.