Winner: Marshalltown, Iowa, Mayor Joel Greer
On July 19, an EF-3 Tornado ripped through Marshalltown, Iowa. It only took minutes for the historic town of 27,000 to be decimated. Scores of homes were destroyed, civic infrastructure was reduced to rubble and thousands of residents were left terrified in the wake of the destruction.
Despite the devastation, the community was able to take refuge in and rally around their city’s leadership. Although no one individual is an island during such trying times, Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer made a clear and consorted effort to spearhead the unification and restoration of his city. For these efforts, he has been selected as this year’s Exemplary Public Servant of the Year.
Watching the two microcells approaching the city via smartphone app, Greer knew difficult work was ahead. When the storm hit, he was on the way from his home to the fire station – a ride that would usually take a few minutes. “It took close to an hour, and I still had to walk the last three blocks,” Greer says. “So many streets were completely blocked by trees, power lines were down… walking the last three blocks to the fire station, I recognized the steeple to our beautiful courthouse in the street.”
Chalk it up to fate, preparation or divine intervention, but there was no loss of life that night in Marshalltown. In fact, there weren’t even any serious injuries. “I’m not all that religious, but I think this was a miracle,” Geer says. And while all the resident’s lives were spared, the damage to the city itself was substantial. Marshalltown’s infrastructure and economy were absolutely in peril.
Knowing this, Greer looked for guidance. Through a nonprofit organization called Leaders Link, formed to connect mayors involved in disasters with one another, Geer was able to connect with the mayor of Tupelo, Miss., which had been ravaged during Hurricane Katrina, to learn from someone who had been there before.
With this perspective, Geer was able to use Tupelo’s experiences as well as his background practicing law, his understanding of service through the non-profit sector and his strong ties with the local business community to his advantage. Rather than seeing the storm as a crippling blow to the community, Greer saw it as an opportunity to reinvest in the community he serves.
But a community’s foundation is its economy, and there’s no way to rebuild if the economy crumbles. After the storm, Greer immediately went to work with his community’s job providers. He was not only able to solidify their commitments to rebuild, but he was also able to secure an additional million dollars in community investment. Marshalltown is now also courting developers to rebuild and expand its housing stock, so it can attract young families to keep the community healthy and growing.
In this way, there is opportunity in disaster. “In most towns, after a disaster like this, the town comes back better, stronger and bigger,” Greer says. “I’m convinced that’s going to happen here.”
Evidence of this, Greer says, is already presenting itself. The downtown area is once again vibrant. Restaurants are expanding. People are fixing up buildings they likely wouldn’t have before the storm. “We now have Sushi in Marshalltown, Iowa.” Greer laughs. “And it’s great.”
Joking aside, Greer understands Marshalltown’s recovery was and still is a team effort. He humbly accepted this year’s award, but praised his city staff for their efforts, diminishing his role and lauding theirs. Geer says the police chief, the fire chief, the city administrator and the scores of private and public volunteers were responsible for much of the heavy lifting, and that this award should honor them as well.
As the recovery process continues, Greer says he’s excited about Marshalltown’s future. For better or worse, the tornado brought the community closer together, and he sincerely believes the city will come back stronger because of it.