Foundations Connect to Expand Free Wi-Fi in Council Bluffs

Phases 6 and 7 of BLink will be completed four years ahead of schedule

BLink logo
More students in the Council Bluffs Community School District will be able to access the internet for free following a recently announced expansion of BLink Wi-Fi. Back in March, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges for students and families without internet access. Now, thanks to grant funding from the Southwest Iowa COVID-19 Response Fund – an initiative of the Iowa West Foundation and the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation- along with contributions from Peter Kiewit Foundation and the City of Council Bluffs totaling $400,000, CBCSD is able leverage CARES Act funding to accelerate planned connectivity expansions in the Rue and Longfellow Elementary School neighborhoods.

“Accessibility is a great equalizer for students in our region, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when virtual learning requires students to be online,” said Pete Tulipana, President & CEO of the Iowa West Foundation. “This wouldn’t have happened without partnerships between private philanthropy and public sector and we are pleased to have helped bring everyone together.”

Due to school closures that began in March, CBCSD was eager for students to be able to access digital learning opportunities. However, approximately 20 percent of the district’s families do not have internet access. By leveraging the foundations’ funding coupled with the contribution from the City of Council Bluffs, BLink Wi-Fi coverage will be expanded 17 percent. That translates to Wi-FI access for nearly 1,500 more students.

“The BLink project is so important for students during this difficult time, particularly as we strive for equitable access to educational resources,” said Donna Dostal, President and CEO of the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation. “We were excited to support this initiative with resources directly from PCCF and our generous donors through the COVID-19 Response Fund.”

Since 2015, the school district and the City of Council Bluffs, with support from key partners such as Iowa West Foundation and Google, have launched and expanded the free, public Wi-Fi known as BLink throughout the community. The mission of the consortium is to provide access wherever technically and financially feasible. Philanthropy uniting around a common goal made it possible.

“One of our impact areas at the Peter Kiewit Foundation is ‘Youth Pathways to Success,’ said Wendy Boyer, Executive Director. “The BLink Wi-Fi expansion speaks to that by removing a barrier and opening access to an education that can help students reach their full potential.”

About the Iowa West Foundation

The Iowa West Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the Midwest. It has distributed more than $500 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run. The Foundation targets resources into programs and projects that focus on economic development, education, placemaking and healthy families.

Iowa West Foundation Hires Next President & CEO

Council Bluffs native Brenda Mainwaring is the first female to lead the organization

Following a nationwide search, the Iowa West Foundation (IWF) Board of Directors recently named the organization’s new leader. Council Bluffs native Brenda Mainwaring was selected to serve as the next President and CEO beginning in September. With the announcement, Mainwaring becomes the first woman to be named to the role since IWF was formed nearly 25 years ago.

Mainwaring brings decades of experience to the position from her years as an executive at Union Pacific. She is credited with developing funding partnerships with communities and not-for-profit organizations across Iowa, Nebraska and eight southern states as they implemented transformative projects. In addition, she helped communities create jobs as well as develop community spaces.

“Brenda is a problem-solver,” said Iowa West Foundation Board President Matt Gronstal. “Her extensive experience creating and implementing strategic initiatives at every level will be of great value to the Foundation and to the communities of southwest Iowa.”

Rick Killion, past president of the Iowa West Racing Association and chair of the search committee, echoed those sentiments.

“In Brenda, we found a candidate who is both familiar with the community and has a reputation for getting things done,” Killion said. “Her passion for collaboration, coupled with her many accomplishments in both the public and private sector, made her the perfect fit to be our next leader. We are confident she will continue the forward momentum of the Foundation.”

Mainwaring will replace current President and CEO, Pete Tulipana, who will retire after serving in the lead role since 2012.

“Pete and the entire Iowa West Foundation team have built an organization that provides a model for the greater philanthropic community,” Mainwaring said. “The work completed under his leadership has touched the lives of every resident of the region, whether you are an athlete, an arts aficionado, a parent of a school-age child, or all of the above. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to continue the work of the staff, board and community members as we all focus on improving lives and strengthening our communities.

“My husband Brian and I are absolutely thrilled to be coming back home to Council Bluffs.”

Mainwaring is a graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School with undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Iowa. Her background includes private foundation grantmaking, public-private partnerships, and relationship-building across a broad spectrum of geography and interests. Council Bluffs residents may be familiar with her work to develop the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and Kenefick Park at Lauritzen Gardens. She also served as a volunteer, fundraiser, or board member for the following local organizations:
-Council Bluffs Planning Commission
-Pottawattamie Conservation Board and Foundation
-Bluffs Art Council (now Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment)
-West Pottawattamie Master Gardeners
-Midlands Humane Society
-Union Pacific Railroad Museum.
-Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

Mainwaring’s official start date is Sept. 8th with more details on community engagement opportunities to come.