2014 Mayors’ Volunteer Awards

Volunteer Award Recipients:

Blue Zones Project Purpose Leadership Team (Ronelle Langley, Oksana Matvienko, and Mary McInnis Meyer), nominated by the Blue Zones Project

Blue Zones Project Walking Moai Leadership Team (Timi Brown-Powers, Tina Douglas, and Cheryl Meller), nominated by the Blue Zones Project

Ryan Doland, nominated by Mary Decker

John Hines and Ali Hines, nominated by the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley

Mark Hockey, nominated by Waterloo Community Schools

Brooke Holahan, nominated by Chris Holahan

Janet Kahler, nominated by Sandy Formanek

Scott Kinter, nominated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa

Joint Volunteers (Shirley Fogleman, Nancy Golinvaux, Barb Jacobson, Sharon Johnson, Mary McCalley, and Marie Nitzschke), nominated by North Star Community Services

John Lazum, nominated by Habitat For Humanity

Maureen Murphy, nominated by Hawkeye Community College

Lonnie Oehler and Laurie Trager, nominated by Cedar Valley Hospice

Mary Esther Pullin, nominated by Black Hawk County Extension and Outreach Tonya Reicher, nominated by Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau

Holly Schwerdtfeger, nominated by Western Home Communities

MaraBeth Soneson, nominated by the Blue Zones Project

Mark Speckerman, nominated by Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley Stephanie Tjaden, nominated by Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley

Outstanding Emerging Volunteer Award:
Haley Brimmer, nominated by the Family and Children’s Council

Allison Durflinger, nominated by Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley

Cory Young, nominated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa

Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award:

Milly Burger, nominated by Allen Hospital

Doris Butler, nominated by Friendship Village

Dr. Patricia Connell, nominated by Cedar Valley Hospice

Zinetta Eckerman, nominated by Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Marv Mattfeld, nominated by Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

John Hines and Ali Hines, nominated by the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley

John Hines and Ali Hines are a phenomenal father-daughter duo. They are able to share their passion for basketball at the Boys and Girls Club of the Cedar Valley by coaching a girls’ basketball team.

Once a week, this duo teaches the girls something new, whether it is an offensive play, defensive play, or free throw shots. John and Ali have also gone above and beyond by taking the girls’ basketball team to different tournaments around Iowa, to UNI basketball games, and have thrown the girls a few pizza parties.

John and Ali are wonderful role models to the girls. They are encouraging, dedicated, and are always ensuring that the game of basketball is fun for the girls.

John and Ali are a unique duo who are quite deserving of a Mayors’ Volunteer Award!

Brooke Holahan, nominated by Chris Holahan

Brooke Holahan has made outstanding contributions to the Cedar Valley community in the short seven years she has lived here. Brooke is a mother of three children, and works as a Family Coordinator at the Job Foundation in Waterloo.

Aside from her personal life, Brooke has put in countless hours of commitment towards volunteerism. She is a mentor to five young girls who are sponsored by the Job Foundation. Brooke also serves at Nazareth Lutheran Church by being a group leader for multiple programs, volunteering at Vacation Bible School, and assists with almost every service project presented to the church.

Brooke is a volunteer for the State of Iowa where she serves as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for kids in transitional circumstances. She ensures that these kids find temporary, safe, nurturing, and permanent homes. Brooke is also a founding member of a missions group called Luke 9 ministries, who help less-fortunate families meet emergent needs.

Brooke’s efforts to give back to the Cedar Valley community are what make her a Mayors’ Volunteer Award recipient.

Holly Schwerdtfeger, nominated by Western Home Communities

Holly Schwerdtfeger is a dedicated volunteer, accumulating close to 200 hours of service at Western Home Communities since 2012.

Holly first began volunteering at the residence for memory support and dementia care. She assists other residents in various outings, such as fishing trips, doctor’s appointments, and shopping in local stores. Holly willingly takes on any volunteer assignment, and treats the residents with respect and dignity, regardless of their abilities.

Her easy-going and confident nature puts residents at ease. Faces light up when she is present, and employees at the Western Home know she is always willing to help with any task, so that the residents receive care in a timely manner.

Holly’s dedication to the residents and their well-being at Western Home Communities is what makes her worthy of a Mayors’ Volunteer Award.

Mark Hockey, nominated by Waterloo Community Schools

Mark Hockey is a volunteer who will go out of his way to help a child. He has been an active TeamMates mentor with the Waterloo Community Schools since 2010.

Mark has gone above and beyond the expectations of a mentor. He has purchased things like Legos, materials for bird house building, and brings along remote control cars for the kids to play with. In the summer, he has taken his mentees fishing and to race go-carts.

One of Mark’s mentees lives with his grandmother, who has said he is an inspiration to her grandson. Mark helps this mentee to learn from his mistakes, all the while encouraging him to be the best he can be. Another boy that Mark mentored was going through a difficult transition at home, and Mark was known to provide reassurance by consistently showing up every week.

It is clear to see that Mark’s weekly visits with his mentees have made a great impact, which is why Mark Hockey is deserving of a Mayors’ Volunteer Award.

Maureen Murphy, nominated by Hawkeye Community College

Maureen Murphy has been an active volunteer with Hawkeye Community College’s English Language Learning (ELL) program for eight years. The students in these classes are adult immigrants and refugees from around the world. Thirty-three percent of the students are refugees from Burma, having little to no formal education.

Maureen has volunteered with instructing both intermediate and pre-literacy ELL courses, not to mention working one-on-one with several students. She participates in professional development alongside Hawkeye Community College staff members to continuously improve her English teaching skills. Although Maureen is qualified to be a paid ELL instructor, she prefers to volunteer so she can interact more closely with students.

Maureen’s compassion, commitment, and enthusiasm of selflessly helping others are what make her deserving of a Mayors’ Volunteer Award.

Ryan Doland, nominated by Mary Decker

Ryan Doland is able to volunteer while doing something he loves—baseball. If you stop by the Deerwood Park in Evansdale during the summers, you will most likely see Ryan coaching either baseball or softball teams. He is able to volunteer through the Evansdale Youth Volunteers, and is also an umpire for baseball games. Ryan is consistently boosting the children’s self-confidence and encourages them to do their best.

Ryan is nineteen years old and is attending Hawkeye Community College for the Criminal Justice program. He is always willing to help everyone in any way possible, which is what makes him a Mayors’ Volunteer Award Recipient.

John Lazum, nominated by Habitat for Humanity

John Lazum has gone above and beyond as a volunteer. He has worked with Habitat for Humanity to make affordable home ownership an option for Burmese refugees who otherwise may not be able to qualify for a loan. Since 2012, John has helped assist seven Burmese families in home ownership.

John has assisted families with completing their application for housing, and has provided his service as a translator in order for the families to have a home. He has volunteered hundreds of hours towards the hands-on building of homes.

John’s generosity and commitment to Habitat for Humanity and the families they serve are why he is awarded with a Mayors’ Volunteer Award.

Laurie Trager and Lonnie Oehler, nominated by Cedar Valley Hospice

Laurie Trager and Lonnie Oehler are a brother and sister who work selflessly as a team. For thirteen years, Laurie and Lonnie have given their time and energy to the children’s grief program of Cedar Valley Hospice, called The Eucalyptus Tree.

The giant characters representing The Eucalyptus Tree program, called Katy and Quincy Koala, visit families at their homes, as well as children at hospitals or schools, in order to help children acclimate to a difficult diagnosis or death of a loved one. Lonnie and Laurie have offered their time to put on their furry suits in order to accommodate families’ needs.

The Koalas are often invited to community events, parades, school fairs, and even birthday parties! This brother-sister duo is always willing to go to different promotional events dressed as the Koalas. Their dedication and teamwork to Cedar Valley Hospice is what makes them deserving of a Mayors’ Volunteer Award.

MaraBeth Soneson, nominated by the Blue Zones Project

MaraBeth Soneson is a hard-working volunteer who strives to improve the quality of life of our citizens in the Cedar Valley. Volunteering countless hours to the Blue Zones Project, MaraBeth was a key factor in Cedar Falls acquiring the Blue Zones Project certification.

Working as a co-chair for the citizen group that applied for the Blue Zones Project demonstration designation, MaraBeth and other volunteers put together a powerful presentation and unique skit to present to the Blue Zones Project organization. Because of this the Cedar Valley was awarded as a Blue Zones demonstration city.

Sue Beach, from the Cedar Falls Blue Zones Project, says, “Without MaraBeth’s strong leadership, Cedar Falls would not have acquired Blue Zones Project certification.” MaraBeth’s strong commitment, enthusiasm, and hard work are what make her deserving of a Mayors’ Volunteer Award.

Haley Brimmer, nominated by the Family and Children’s Council

Haley Brimmer, a senior at the University of Northern Iowa, is a volunteer impacting the lives of many. Haley is a dedicated intern with the Family and Children’s Council who works with new mothers and screens them for services at area hospitals.

Haley has devoted much of her time to her church, St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center. During her last two spring breaks, she has traveled on week-long service activity trips. Haley has participated with just about every service project at St. Stephens, as well as has been a volunteer coordinator and social justice peer minister.

In addition to the volunteerism through her church, Haley has been actively involved with volunteer activities through the University of Northern Iowa, including Volunteer Tuesdays, the Student Social Work Association, and the UNI Volunteer Council.

At the young age of twenty-two, Haley’s volunteer accomplishments surpass many of her peers. Her willingness to serve others and contributions to the Cedar Valley community are what has earned Haley the Mayors’ Outstanding Emerging Volunteer Award.

Zinetta Eckerman, nominated by Wheaton Franciscan Health Care

Zinetta Eckerman has had a lifelong experience of volunteerism which cannot go unnoticed. This remarkable ‘young lady’ will be turning 101 years old in May! Since 1995 Zinetta has contributed approximately 3,500 hours to the Covenant Medical Center. Zinetta, along with a group of other volunteers, sews surgery caps for children who undergo surgery at Covenant. The caps are in fun prints, which make surgery a little more bearable for the children. With the leftover material, Zinetta and the other volunteers make quilts for the hospital.

Zinetta currently resides at Ridgeway Place, where she has started a garden full of vegetables in the courtyard. She is quite generous and shares her vegetables with the other residents. When asked what she contributes her good health and longevity to, she replied, “Hard work and giving back to your community and people less fortunate than you.”

Even at her 100^th year of age, Zinetta continues to give back to the Cedar Valley community. This woman is, without a doubt, deserving of a Mayors’ Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award. 

Doris Butler, nominated by Friendship Village

Doris Butler is a woman who knows a thing or two about volunteering. At age thirteen she began volunteering by teaching Sunday school and playing the piano at the church she and her father founded in Greene, Iowa. She has continued to bring many people closer to God at the Walnut Baptist Ridge Church, where she has taught Sunday school for twenty years.

Doris, currently residing at Friendship Village, does everything she can to make sure the other residents are comfortable. She acts as a “Welcomer” for new homeowners at Friendship Village, familiarizing them with the forty acre campus. Doris is chairperson for the Residents Council; making sure homeowners’ concerns are brought to management.

Doris also assists individuals who need help with a variety of tasks, such as getting the paper in the morning, walking service dogs, and making sure those with special needs in group homes are being taken care of. Doris has been known to say, “Anyone with a positive attitude and willing to accept my help may come to me.”

Doris’s kind heart and willingness to help wherever it is needed is why she is deserving of a Mayors’ Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.


Congratulations to all!