Gubernatorial Race 2006 - Bob Vander Plaats
| Date/Time: | Thursday, 20 Apr 2006 at 6:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Location: | Lagomarcino E164 |
| Cost: | Free |
| Contact: | |
| Phone: | 515-294-9934 |
| Channel: | Lecture Series |
| Categories: | Lectures |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
Bob Vander Plaats
Bob, one of eight children, grew up in a two-story home on a tree-lined street in Sheldon, Iowa.
Bob attended Northwestern College in Orange City where Bob received a basketball scholarship and Darla received a music scholarship.
Bob pursued a career as an educator, saying "I fell in love with teaching because I saw the difference I could make in the lives of kids." His first teaching job was in Boone, teaching business courses at Boone High School and later he taught business and became the head basketball coach in Jefferson.
At twenty-nine years old, Bob became the new principal of Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn High School. The success he experienced resulted in a call from his home town of Sheldon, asking Bob to join their staff as the Sheldon High School principal. Bob went on to earn Master's and Specialist's Degrees in the area of Educational Leadership from Drake University.
Bob and Darla have been married 21 years and have four sons; Hans, Josh, Lucas and Logan. In 1993, their third son, Lucas, was born with a serious and rare brain disorder. He would be severely handicapped and require constant care for the rest of his life. "If it hadn't been for the miracle of Lucas," Bob says, "we would have never looked beyond where we were." Four years later, their fourth son, Logan, was born and completed the creation of a very special family.
Another unexpected offer came in 1996, when Bob was sought after to become the President and Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities Unlimited, a health and human services organization, providing rehabilitative services for young adults with brain or spinal cord injuries, or other life-altering disabilities. Bob accepted the challenge and, in four short years, turned a struggling entity into one of the top service providers of its type in the United States. With Bob's leadership, the organization's design and program delivery were referred to as the model in the country for serving people with disabilities.
In 2002, Bob led a positive and energetic campaign for governor. Although he narrowly lost his first bid for public office, he was highly successful in building a statewide organization which remains motivated and continues to grow.
Bob is currently president of MVP Leadership, INC. MVP specializes in strategic vision and executive leadership for Business and Industry, Economic Development, Education, Health Care, Human Services, and Private Foundations.
His professional and personal accomplishments have been highly recognized. In March of 2002 he was noted as one of the forty most influential people under 40 years of age in the Siouxland (Iowa) Region by The Sioux City Journal. In the fall of 2000, Northwestern College of Orange City, Iowa bestowed Bob the honor of "Distinguished Alumni" for his professional achievement.
Source: http://www.jimnussle.com/nussle/wrapper....D=4086-664