2013 Municipal Professionals Institute
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Sue Battani
Susan Battani is a Director for David A. Vaudt, CPA, Iowa’s Auditor of State (AOS), and has
worked for the office since graduating from Northeast Missouri State University (now
Truman State University) in 1977. As a Director in the Financial Audit Division, Sue’s
primary responsibilities include providing technical assistance and training to local
governments and to their auditors. She also participates in the Auditor’s Office Quality
Review Program of CPA firm reports and work-papers, is involved with re-audits of local
governments, and performs reviews of certain local government audit reports and workpapers prepared by AOS staff. Sue has been involved for several years with various local
government training programs including programs for the ISCPA as well as the Iowa
Association of School Business Officials (IASBO), the Iowa Superintendent’s Finance and
Leadership Consortium (ISFLC), the Iowa School Business Management Academy (ISBMA)
and the Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute. She is a member of the Iowa Society of
Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public
Jim Wainright
Jim Wainwright is a member of Ahlers & Cooney, P.C.’s Litigation and Public Finance & Law
practice areas, serving cities, city utilities, counties, school districts, special districts, and
other local governments in the exercise of their powers and in litigation. Jim’s expertise in
local government law allows him to serve as a resource for city attorneys and local
government officials.
His representation of municipal entities includes litigation in federal and state courts, as
well as practice before administrative agencies in regard to such matters as election
contests, franchise fees, special assessments, Chapter 573 claims, public improvement
contract litigation, open meetings, public records requests, public bidding, eminent domain,
annexation, and the exercise of home rule powers.
Ryan Berry
Ryan Berry is the Public Fund Sales Associate for the local government investment pools
administered and marketed by Miles Capital. He is responsible for both the growth and
maintenance of relationships and asset levels for the IPAIT program. He also builds and
maintains relationships with banks across the state of Iowa to provide CDs and other
investments for the portfolios and individual participants. Ryan has over 8 years of banking
and financial relationship management experience and comes to Miles Capital with his
most recent position as Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager at Bank of the West.
John Danos and Amy Bjork
John Danos and Amy Bjork are attorneys in the Des Moines office of the Dorsey & Whitney
law firm. They specialize in municipal law and finance, with a particular emphasis on
general municipal finance and project construction, tax increment financing and economic
development. John and Amy are graduates of the Drake University Law School.
As "bond attorneys," they provide the legal services that are needed when cities issue
bonds or notes to construct public projects, using general obligation debt service levies,
utility revenue, special assessments road use tax revenues, local option tax revenues and
other special revenue sources. They give opinions certifying that the issuer has complied
with all applicable state and federal laws and that the interest income on the bonds or
notes is exempt from federal income taxation.
In addition, they provide guidance on the open meetings law, public bidding laws, adoption
of ordinances and the various aspects of economic development. Together, they have
helped hundreds of cities around the state with the establishment and development of
urban renewal and tax increment financing projects. They have also created innovative
methods of financing economic development projects, including TIF rebate agreements.
They regularly provide advice and assistance to the Iowa Department of Economic
Development and the Iowa League of Cities."
Don Broshar
Don Broshar, Extension Youth and Community Development Specialist, has worked in
youth and organization development for over 34 years, 31 of those with ISU Extension. He
has served as a youth program coordinator, a youth and family counselor, a County
Extension Director, an Organizational Development Specialist, a Youth Development
Specialist, and a Community Development Specialist. He has facilitated groups of many
sizes and many purposes ranging from not-for-profit youth and community groups to
university work groups and departments, to school systems, to community businesses. He
has trained employees, staff, and faculty in topics ranging from communications to stress
management to personal leadership and management skills to conflict management to
coping with change to youth development.
Don currently provides leadership and training in youth and community development for
Extension staff and other community leaders. He works with communities and
organizations to help build the capacity for youth development. He also works in Iowa’s
communities providing leadership training and consults with individual organizations,
departments, and groups in dealing with organizational change, difficult situations, and
conflict.
Some recent workshops include:
 Hardin County Leadership Program
 Jasper County Leadership Program
 Ames Diversity Group
 Sioux County Leadership Program
 ISU NREM Departmental Retreat
 Clarence Town Meeting
 DHS Leadership Program
 Granger Economic Development Association- Vision and Planning
 Fort Dodge Museum Board of Directors- Strategic Direction and Board Functioning
 Ames City Parks and Recreation- Community Forums for Aquatic Center
 Main Street/Adel Partners- Board of Directors Future Planning
 Ottumwa Partners-Community Planning and Vision
 Southwest Iowa Rural Development Resource Center- Structured Conversation
about the Future
 College of Human Sciences Departmental Staff Retreat
 Center for Childcare Resources Board of Directors Retreat
 Grow Iowa, Inc.- Priority Setting
 Wright County Board of Supervisors- Team Building
Tim Moerman
Tim Moerman is a native of Sioux Center, Iowa. He graduated from Dordt College in Sioux
Center in 1986 with degrees in business administration and accounting. He graduated
from Iowa
State University in 1995 with a Masters in Public Administration. He has been in public
administration in Iowa since 1986, serving as a City Administrator in Sibley, Jefferson and
Mason City, and as the Assistant City Manager in Dubuque. Tim has been the Economic
Development Director for the City of Ankeny since July of 2005. He has taken active roles
in professional organizations, church leadership and community service organizations. He
has been a mentor in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program for seven years. Tim is married
with three children and eight grandchildren.
Mark Cory
R. Mark Cory was born in Nevada, Iowa, on April 15, 1960. He attended the University of
Northern Iowa (B.A., with honors, 1982) and Drake University (J.D., with honors, 1986)
where he was a member of the Drake Law Review staff, the Moot Court Board and the
Regional Moot Court Team. He is a member of Order of the Coif and National Order of the
Barristers and was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 1986. He is a member of the firm of Ahlers,
Cooney, Dorweiler, Haynie, Smith and Albee, P.C.’s finance department. He is a member of
the American Bar Association, Polk County and Iowa State Bar Associations and the
National Association of Bond Lawyers. He has served as a guest lecturer for Drake
University Law School, Iowa State University and the Iowa Municipal Clerks’ Institute.
Minniette Bucklin
Minniette Bucklin is an associate attorney in the public finance department at Ahlers &
Cooney, P.C. Her primary practice concentrations are in tax-exempt finance and securities
law, with a focus on transactions for cities, counties, school districts, community colleges
and municipal utilities. Not only does Minniette assist clients throughout Iowa with the
issuance of governmental bonds, but she also advises clients with respect to issues
involving economic development, the investment of public funds, permissible expenditures
and public contracting. Minniette has experience with a variety of transactions including
parity utility revenue bonds, sales tax revenue bonds, tax credit bonds, tax credit bonds,
Build America Bonds and general obligation bonds. Minniette received her Bachelor of Arts,
with a High Distinction, in English and psychology from the University of Iowa in May 1999.
In December 2008, Minniette received her J.D., with Honors, from Drake Law School.
Minniette is a member of the American Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, the
Polk County Bar Association and the National Association of Bond Lawyers.
Patricia Martin
Pat Martin began her legal career at Ahlers & Cooney. She practiced in the litigation area
with an emphasis on employment law and general litigation for 13 years and then left the
firm in 1994 for an in-house position at Maytag Corporation. She worked in the Maytag
Law Department for approximately 13 years until 2006 when Maytag was sold to
Whirlpool. She then returned to the firm. Her background has resulted in a highperformance attorney with a proven track record as law department leader and legal
counselor to public and private entities, executives, company directors and employees. At
Maytag, Pat advanced to Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Secretary of the Board
of Directors. She developed a reputation as a practical problem solver with business
acumen and a remarkable ability to facilitate with a variety of audiences to achieve goals on
target. She has specialized knowledge and experience in general practice, including but not
limited to: economic development, corporate law, employment (including workforce
organization and transactions), benefits, executive compensation, securities (SarbanesOxley Act), mergers and acquisitions, investigations, corporate governance and public
company law.
Upon her return to Ahlers & Cooney, in line with her business background, she has
developed a practice in urban renewal and economic development work, primarily with
public entities (cities and counties), by which tax incentives are exchanged for new
economic development and/or jobs. She also continues to advise clients in employment
and business transactions.
Patrick Callahan
Pat is currently a municipal consultant with Snyder & Associates, working out of the Cedar
Rapids office. He worked for Ruan Securities Corporation as a financial consultant from
1999 to 2005. His work includes managing consulting business for cities and counties,
providing assistance with cable franchise renewal process, management studies, salary
surveys, and related studies and projects, providing part-time consulting services to the
Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Iowa, and providing part-time assistance to
the Brimeyer Group Inc. for city manager/city administrator searches. He previously
worked for the City of Anamosa as City Administrator from 2006 to 2010, the City of
Maquoketa as City Manager from 1978 to 1993, the City of West Point as City
Administrator/Utility Director and the City of Fort Madison as City Planning/Assistant to
Director of Public Works. He has held memberships on many organizational boards and
committees. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Loras College and a
Master of Arts degree in public administration from the University of Iowa.
Dawn Eyestone
Prior to returning to school to complete an advanced degree in communication, Dawn
Eyestone spent over ten years working as a technical writer and graphic designer in a
variety of fields, including real estate, banking, manufacturing, and farming. She has over
four years experience teaching communication courses at the college level. There courses
range from freshman level composition to upper division business communication and
speech communication. Additionally, as a member of the U.S. military, she also has
experience with military communication protocols. Dawn Eyestone received her Master of
Arts degree in English literature from Iowa State University in 2008 and is currently
working on a doctoral project in critical education methodologies.
Paul Greufe
Paul J. Greufe, SPHR has over 20 years of experience in all areas of Human Resources
management. He is President of P.J. Greufe & Associates, a business partner specializing in
Human Resources. His experience and expertise range from small businesses to large
corporations and from private sector to public sector organizations. He has instructed
more than 150 graduate and undergraduate courses. He has made many professional
presentations and holds Board Affiliations and Association Memberships. His
undergraduate degree is from Drake University and he holds a masters degree from St.
Ambrose University. He has taught a variety of management and human resources courses
and seminars at St. Ambrose University, Clarke College, the University of Iowa and Iowa
State University.
Elizbeth Grob
Elizabeth A. Grob was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her B.A. in
1988 from the University of Mississippi, her M.A. from the University of
Missouri in 1990, and her J.D. (with honors) from Drake University in 1996.
She was a member of the Drake Law Review and is a member of the Order of the
Coif. She was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 1996 and is a member of the Public
Finance and Local Government Law departments of the Firm.
Robert Jester
President of Jester Insurance Services, Inc., Bob has over 40 years experience in commercial
lines insurance with extensive involvement in governmental insurance accounts. He is
currently Managing Agent for the Iowa Association of School Boards and Iowa Association of
Municipal Utilities. He is Past-President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa and
the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. In addition to the Municipal Clerks' Institute, Bob
has spoken to the Municipal Finance Officers, Iowa Association of School Boards, Iowa
Petroleum Marketers and many other Iowa organizations in Insurance and Risk
Management, including area city clerks' groups.
Alan Kemp
Alan Kemp joined the League in July 1999. As the Director of Membership Services, Alan
has the overall responsibility for the League’s technical assistance and training programs.
Alan answers member inquiries; provides research support and develops educational
workshops on topics of interest to municipal officials. Alan also provides professional
assistance to the Iowa Municipal Attorneys Association and the Iowa City/County
Management Association. Before joining the League, Alan was the City Administrator for
the city of Mitchellville and prior to that; he was an Administrative Assistant for the city of
Windsor Heights. Alan is a graduate of the University of Iowa with bachelor’s degrees in
Political Science and Journalism. He is currently finalizing his Masters in Public
Administration at Iowa State University by completing a management study of combined
city and school district libraries.
Julie Smith
Julie Smith began her legislative career as a Legal Counsel for the Legislative Services
Agency drafting legislation and staffing committees. She is currently on contract lobbyist at
the state level whose clients include the Iowa League of Cities and the Iowa Association of
Municipal Utilities. Ms. Smith teaches the third year Legislative Practice course at the Drake
University Law School and monitors the third year lobbying internships at the State
Capitol. In addition to practicing legislative law, Julie is the Director of the Legislative
Practice Center. with Distinction from the University of Iowa Law School in 1988 and her
undergraduate degree in history from Coe College in 1984.
Mary Mosiman
Mary Mosiman is a knowledgeable, hard-working individual with experience in leadership,
management, accounting and local government work who focuses on professionalism,
mutual respect and excellent public service. She currently works for the Iowa Secretary of
State as Deputy of Elections, where she helps establish policy, manage daily operations and
work plans for the staff in voter registration services and election administration, and
works on budget matters. Her prior work experience includes working as the Story County
Auditor and Commissioner of Election, an owner and operator of a home daycare center,
and as an accounting assistant. Mary has been certified in Iowa State Election
Administrators Training (SEAT) since 2004 and certified as an Iowa public accountant
since 2003. She holds a B.S. degree in business and accounting from Iowa State University.
Kathleen Richardson
Kathleen Richardson is Director and Assistant Professor in the Drake School of Journalism
and Mass Communication, where she teaches media law and ethics. Prior to teaching,
Richardson worked for 20 years as a news editor, copy desk chief and columnist at the Des
Moines Register and the Des Moines Tribune. She also worked as a freelance book and
magazine editor for Meredith Corporation. She received her Master’s Degree in Journalism
from Drake University in 2001 and her Law Degree from the Drake University Law School
in 2002. She is a member of the Iowa Bar. Richardson is also executive secretary for the
Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a non-profit coalition of journalists, educators,
attorneys, librarians and others that promotes open government and is headquartered in
the Drake journalism school. She produces educational materials on the state’s open
meetings and records laws, conducts workshops and answers citizens’ and journalists’
inquiries on the Council “hotline.”
Jennifer Rodenbeck
Jennifer Rodenbeck is the Finance Manager/City Clerk for the City of Cedar Falls. She has
been with the City for 15 years. In her job with the City she oversees the annual audit,
annual budget, CIP, accounting, payroll, public records, clerk’s office, parking, and human
resources. Prior to coming the City of Cedar Falls, she worked for a small CPA firm where
she did several audits of cities, school districts and other governmental entities. Jennifer
graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a B.A. in accounting and earned her
CPA designation. She also earned the Certified Public Financial Officer designation from
GFOA. The City of Cedar Falls has received the GFOA achievement in financial reporting and
budgeting for the past several years.
Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. She enjoys
gardening, boating and reading historical biographies.
Fern Stewart
Fern Stewart is the West Des Moines Deputy City Clerk. She has been employed with the
City of
West Des Moines for over 19 years, working in Parks and Recreation, in the City Manager's
office and in her current position since 2000. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree
in
2002 and is a 2003 graduate of the Municipal Clerks' Institute. She has also earned the lIMC
Certified Municipal Clerk and the IMFOA Certified Municipal Finance Officer designations.
Ms. Stewart is a member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, the Iowa
Municipal
Finance Officers Association and the Golden Circle Municipal Officers Association.
Alan Vandehaar
Alan Vandehaar has worked as a community development specialist with Iowa State
University Extension since 1987. He has conducted numerous community development
programs, including planning and zoning training workshops, leadership development
programs, and nonprofit management programs.
He played a key role in organizing the State Election Administrators Training program, and
has taught numerous years at the annual Iowa Municipal Clerks Institute. He is the ISU
Extension project manager for the Iowa Precinct Election (PEO) Official Certification
Training program. Working with the County Auditors association and the Iowa Secretary of
States Office, he developed the curriculum and trained extension staff to teach the program
around the state.
Alan holds undergraduate degrees from Drake University and Iowa State University and a
Masters degree in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University. He is a
member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, American Planning Association.
Denise Vrchota
Denise Vrchota is an adjunct assistant professor in the English Department at Iowa State
University. She earned her BA from UNI (1971) in English, MA from ISU (1976) in English,
Speech, and Journalism, and Ph.D. from ISU in 1989 in Adult and Extension Education. She
has been a faculty member at ISU since 1976 and teaches courses in interpersonal,
nonverbal, and professional communication.