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Patti Fields
President
Patti Fields is serving in her seventh year on the Iowa City Community School Board. She has served as president, served on all of the committees of the board (governance, finance, communication, facilities and legislative) and currently chairs the legislative committee. Patti is a member of the Urban Education Network Steering Committee, representing the eight largest districts in Iowa.
In January 2011, Patti was elected to the IASB Board of Directors to a three-year term representing district 6a. In September 2011, Patti was selected as 2010-11 President-elect nominee to fill the remainder of the term, serve 2 years as President and 2 years as Past President.
With over 18 years of experience working with volunteers in nonprofits, Patti is a leader in volunteer management at the local and state level. She has developed continuing education curriculum and presented numerous trainings and workshops in the core competencies and best practices of volunteerism and volunteer management. In her work as Vice President for Community Impact & Engagement, Patti partners and collaborates with local governmental entities and many nonprofit agencies in the areas of Education, Income and Health. She directs the Community Investment work and Disaster Response for United Way of Johnson County and supervises the Volunteer Center of Johnson County.
Appointed by Governor Culver in 2008 to the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, Patti is currently the Chair of the Commission.
Patti received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Iowa, her Volunteer Management Certificate from Kirkwood Community College, her Nonprofit Management Certificate from Iowa State University and the CVA accreditation from the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration
Patti and her husband, Jeffrey, have two sons. Xavier is a freshman in high school and Zachary is in sixth grade.
Dr. Tom Downs
Executive Director
Thomas J. Downs presently serves as superintendent of the Southeast Polk Community School District in metro Des Moines, Iowa. Before going to Southeast Polk, Tom served five years as the superintendent of schools in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He previously served administrative positions in Iowa at West Des Moines, Urbandale, and Johnston community school districts. On July 1, 2011, he will begin serving as executive director of the Iowa Association of School Boards.
Tom earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, M.A. from Western Illinois University, ED.S. from Drake University and completed course work in the doctoral program at Iowa State University.
He began his career in education in the Quad-Cities at Bettendorf High School (1976-1984) where he taught English and coached. Tom is a career educator and is committed to enhancing literacy and promoting what he believes to be “The Iowa ADVANTAGE” - our students. In 1993 Tom received the Iowa High School Principal of the Year Award and in 2008 was a nominee for the Iowa Superintendent of the Year Award. Tom has also received alumni awards from two of his alma maters (UW-Platteville and WIU). The Iowa School Public Relations Association recognized Tom with the 2006 “Communicator of the Year” award. In 2010 Tom was recognized as the “Citizen of the Year” by the Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Tom served on the United Way of Central Iowa Campaign cabinets for 2009 and 2010. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Board of Directors at the Great Rivers United Way in the La Crosse area, where he served as board president for 2002 and 2003.
Tom enjoys music, sports and the outdoors (hunting, fishing and biking) and participated in the 108th Boston Marathon. Tom and his wife, Jane, make their home in Altoona, Iowa, and have four adult sons.