Amanda Dupont

Jackson County Community Coach

Amanda is a Grant Writer/Inspector with East Central Intergovernmental Association, a regional council of governments that serves communities in five eastern Iowa counties. Amanda has worked in community outreach and clients in a variety of areas including transit, homelessness, and workforce training. She graduated in 2009 from the University of Dubuque with degrees in Psychology and Sociology. Amanda lives in Sherrill and leads the agency in teambuilding and diversity.

Francis O. Boggus

Clinton County Community Coach

Francis Boggus is a planning professional with more than 12 years as a board-based community specialist at the local, state, and national level. He has experience in community development and engagement; grant writing and management; board development and training; community visioning, fundraising, project implementation; and heritage tourism development.

Lorin Ditzler

Warren County Community Coach

Lorin brings over a decade of experience in community development and a passion for small-town Iowa to her role as the Warren County Hometown Pride Community Coach. She previously worked as a city planning consultant for communities throughout the Midwest, and supported small businesses working and volunteering for multiple Chambers of Commerce. She holds an MS in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa and a BA in English from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. She is an AICP certified city planner and a trained facilitator. Lorin lives in Des Moines where she volunteers as a board member for the American Planning Association – Iowa Chapter, the Downtown Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, and the City Sounds public piano project. She is also a musician and a freelance writer.

Dan Fox

Grant Wood Mississippi River Region Community Coach (GWMRR)

Dan is a Senior Planner with East Central Intergovernmental Association, a regional council of governments that serves communities in five eastern Iowa counties. Dan has over ten years of experience working with communities on projects in variety of areas including land use, transportation, and housing. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Geography and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Dan lives in Dubuque and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Jessica Johnson

Walker, Springville, Shellsburg, Center Point & Hills Community Coach

Jessica is a Community Development Specialist at the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG), a regional council of governments that serves communities in six eastern Iowa counties. Jessica has 15+ years of community development experience, including economic development, strategic planning, community visioning, tourism development, project implementation, fundraising and grant writing. She graduated from Mount Mercy University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing. Jessica lives in Cedar Rapids where she volunteers as a Czech Village/NewBohemia Main Street District executive board member, 100+ Who Care – Cedar Rapids Metro board chair, Leadership for Five Seasons Arts & Culture Day Committee member and United Way of East Central Iowa – Women United Steering Committee member.

Dan LoBianco

Delaware County Community Coach

Dan is Project Manager for East Central Intergovernmental Agency, the Council of Governments covering five Northeast Iowa counties. In addition to Keep Iowa Beautiful, he works on CDBG, Lead Paint Remediation and Grant Writing at ECIA. Dan joined the CoG in May, and comes with over 23 years of experience in downtown development, including the management of Dubuque’s Cultural District. Dan has degrees in Public Relations, Marketing and Journalism from the University of Northern Iowa; and if you drift back to the beginning of his career, Dan was recreation coordinator in two national parks, so the mission of Keep Iowa Beautiful is deeply imbedded in Dan’s values and experience.

Dylan Michels

Dubuque County Community Coach

Dylan is the Program and Technology Support Specialist at the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA), a regional council of governments that serves communities in five eastern Iowa counties. Dylan has over 8 years of experience working with communities on various projects including transportation, hazard mitigation, Brownfields, housing, and transit. He graduated from the University of Dubuque with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems with minor degrees in Business Administration, Marketing, and Computer Graphics & Interactive Media. Dylan lives in Dubuque and is a member of the Greater Dubuque Development Future Leadership Committee.

Marla Quinn

Cedar County and Delaware County Community Coach

Marla Quinn is the Grants and Municipal Coordinator at the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA) and has been with the agency for 19 years. In her current position, Marla writes and researches grants for communities and organizations in ECIA’s five-county region of Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, and Jackson counties, for projects related to equipment, construction, programming, rehabilitation, community development, recreation, and other special projects. She prepares grants for local, regional, State and Federal funding sources as well as private foundations. When her head is not wrapped around a grant, she works closely with communities on updating city codes, writing ordinances, and answering technical questions. Marla also develops the ECIA Annual Report, and other agency marketing materials.

Marla is a graduate of Loras College in Dubuque with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Writing. She is married to Tony and they have two children, Wil and Lucy.

Katie Steffensmeier

Delaware County & City of Maquoketa Community Coach

Katie is the Economic Development and Community Outreach Coordinator for East Central Intergovernmental Agency, a Council of Governments covering 5 counties in Northeast Iowa. Katie works with Economic Developers for Prosperity Eastern Iowa, a regional group that works collaboratively to enhance the region. She also coordinates intake for several community grants including the Lead Paint and Healthy Homes program. With a background in communication from Clarke University and a Masters from the University of Dubuque, she has taught adjunct, collaborates for regional projects and helps secure grant funding. A native Iowan, Katie, her husband and young son also farm in rural Iowa and understand the value of Keeping Iowa Beautiful.

Margo Underwood

Special Advisor / Pocahontas County Community Coach

Margo Underwood is president of Underwood Consulting, a business that provides resource management and public relations services to communities, businesses and non-profit organizations. Margo has 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors working with communities to help them develop solid waste plans in Iowa and Minnesota. Margo serves as chair of the Iowa Natural Resource Commission and is a past president and current board member of Trees Forever. Margo grew up on an Iowa Century Farm in Scott County, received her B.S. and M.S. Degrees from ISU, and serves as the KIB Hometown Pride Community Coach in nine communities in Pocahontas County.

Jennifer Walker

Cedar County and Delaware County Community Coach

Jennifer Walker is the Development Coordinator and Consultant at the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA) and has been with the agency for 13 years. In her current position, Jen has written Fundraising Plans, Hazard Mitigation Plans, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants, Economic Development Administration (EDA) Public Works (PW) grants, Iowa Great Places Designations, Strategic and Goal-Setting Plans, Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grants, Mental Health grants, and Wellness Coalition grants for the counties, communities and organizations in ECIA’s five-county region of Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson. She has worked with economic development people, city and county officials, and the private sector to write applications in order to leverage funds from various sources for priority projects.

Jen is a graduate of Clarke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Psychology. She also has a Master of Arts in Art History from Area State University. She is married to Richard and they have two children, Richard III and Claire.

Tricia Wagner

Dubuque County & City of Maquoketa Community Coach

Tricia is a Grant Writer and Program Development Coordinator with East Central Intergovernmental Association, a regional council of governments that serves communities in five eastern Iowa counties. Tricia has over five years of experience working with communities on projects in a variety of areas including transit, public facilities, and economic development. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor degree in Journalism & Mass Communication.