Iowa West Boards

Pictured from left to right are Kate Cutler, IWF Secretary/Treasurer; Jack Ruesch, IWRA Vice-President; Amy Crawford, IWRA President; Matt Gronstal, IWF Chair; Tara Slevin, IWF Vice-Chair; and Kirk Madsen, IWRA Secretary/Treasurer.

Iowa West Foundation Board of Directors

The Foundation Board of Directors is made of volunteer community leaders from throughout Pottawattamie County. The Foundation is a private foundation under the IRS code, and grants are awarded to nonprofits and governmental entities through a deliberative process including grant advisory committees.

The committees consist of community volunteers with backgrounds in the Foundation’s focus areas. Grants are funded primarily by investment income and also from distributions by the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives fee income from Ameristar and Harrah’s.

Matt Gronstal, Chair (Banking)
Tara Slevin, Vice Chair (Healthcare)
Kate Cutler, Secretary/Treasurer, Dual Member (Ret. Legal)

Rick Crowl (Legal)
Ron Dickinson (Investment)
Jason James (Real Estate)
Rick Killion (Banking)
Susan Miller (Banking)
Phil Reed (General Business)

Iowa West Racing Association Board of Directors

The Association Board of Directors is also made up of volunteer community leaders from throughout Pottawattamie County. Because the Association is the nonprofit license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s, it receives contracted fees from those casino operators. The Association — which is regulated by the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission — grants the fees to charity, in this case the Iowa West Foundation.

Amy Crawford, President (Legal)
Jack Ruesch, Vice President (Legal)
Kirk Madsen, Secretary/Treasurer (Insurance)

Kate Cutler, Dual Member (Ret. Legal)
Cindy Hume (Business)
Tamara Pavich (Business)
Vergarie Sanford (Business)
Polina Schlott (Business)
Warren Weber (Ret. Education)

Ex-officios:
Lynn Grobe (County Board of Supervisors)
Mike Wolf (City Council)

Grant Advisory Committees

Education

Sandi Burmeister
Tori Christie
Deb Goodman
Ami Leath
Dr. Ann Mausbach, Chair
Bailey McQueen-Jones
Melanie Shellberg

Healthy Families

Jenny Barnett, Chair
Sarena Dacus
Debbie Orduna
Kathy Penkert
Joannie Poore
Rachel Stolz
Shelley Whitcher

Placemaking

Mike Alford
Alan Byers
Paula Hazlewood, Chair
Shane Hoss
Doug Klahn, Vice Chair
Cory Peters
Brian Rhoten
Dave Wise