Letters to the Editor: Support for Dené Lundberg candidacy for Iowa House

Supports Dené Lundberg for Iowa House 58

By Todd Prichard, Charles City

The choice for the Iowa House of Representatives is clear. Dené Lundberg has the skills and compassion needed to represent our rural community and address the needs of our community.

Dené has the characteristic that is most crucial – she listens. Despite numerous invitations from community groups to both candidates to discuss critical issues, Dené is consistently the only candidate to show up.

Engaging with members of the community is the name of the game for being effective in the Statehouse. If you are not interested in the opinions of your constituents, why take the job as their representative?

Dené has a history of public service. In fact she made a career of it as a public school educator.

Dené approached her 40-year teaching career as a form of public service. Further kudos to Dené for wanting to continue her service in the Legislature after a long career as a public school teacher.

Dené does her homework. Over the last few months, Dené is constantly asking me for information to help form opinions on policy questions from ethanol to health care and everything in between. Being an effective policy maker in the state government requires a lot of research and thoughtfulness.

Contrary to what cable news talking heads say, the answers are not always easy.

Dené has already taken a healthy interest in knowing the issues that impact our state government. A willingness to learn already puts Dené ahead of many people I served with in Des Moines.

Finally, Dené Lundberg understands farming and its importance to our community. She and her family are immersed in modern agriculture. They know what it takes for young people to stay in the community and help drive the economy.

Dené Lundberg is the clear choice this November for state representative.

Lundberg will listen to constituents

By Dennis Petersen, Charles City

The problems facing our state and country today are serious and will only be solved if we work together to find solutions. A “my way or the highway” approach only divides us.

We need someone who will listen to and respect all ideas and be willing to find common ground. Dené Lundberg is such a person. She will bring the same qualities I observed while working with her in the Charles City school system to our state government.

I’m going to vote for Dene Lundberg for Iowa House District 58. I hope you do, too.

Lundberg is a true servant leader

By Nancy Western, Charles City

This letter is to encourage you to vote for Dené Lundberg for Iowa House.

Dené and I worked together for 30 years as teachers at Charles City Middle School and High School. Her passion for teaching and mentoring students was evident in the relationships that she built with her students and the high expectations that she had of them.

I witnessed her students accomplish some pretty amazing things. She started the “Comet Cafe,” where her student chefs created masterpieces several times a year, both in the school and for community events outside of the school. The students and their teacher were always first class!

I consider Dené to be a true Servant Leader. She is someone who has always worked to serve others rather than to gain personal power or control. The four characteristics of a servant leader are: 1) Encourage diversity of thought. 2) Create a culture of trust. 3) Have an unselfish mindset. 4) Foster leadership in others.

I can think of no one who embodies these character traits more than Dené Lundberg.

A final example of Dené’s compassionate leadership is from a trip that a group of youth from our church took to Biloxi, Mississippi, to help in the recovery after Hurricane Katrina. Dené and her husband, Jim, were the group leaders, and my sons and I were with them. Dené and Jim organized and led us to work really hard for long, dirty, sweaty days, but we had so much fun while accomplishing our goals, and we helped a lot of people get back on their feet.

This is the person that I want to represent me in Des Moines! She will be a hard worker for all of us, no matter your party or political leanings. Please cast your vote for Dene Lundberg!