Clive Community Foundation

Inspired Philanthropy

Kevin Waetke

Kevin Waetke

Kevin Waetke

As vice president of strategic communications, Kevin Waetke leads internal and external communications efforts for the National Pork Board. With other members of the Board’s senior leadership team, he plays a critical role in defining communications strategy, and delivering clear and consistent messages to pork producers, opinion leaders, consumers and other key audiences.

Prior to joining the Pork Checkoff, Waetke spent 10 years leading communications in the financial services industry, having worked at U.K.-based life insurance and annuity leader Aviva plc, and, prior to that, as communications director for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Waetke has also led public relations for Maytag Corporation (Newton, Iowa), and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company and Mercy Medical Center, both based in Des Moines. 

Actively involved in the Des Moines community, Waetke serves on Drake University’s National Advisory Council to the school of journalism, is past chair of the Anawim Housing Foundation board, and is a board member of the Clive Community Foundation and the Des Moines Community Playhouse. On a national level, Waetke is a national board member of the Public Relations Society of America (representing the Midwest region) and serves on the finance committee. He is currently a member of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance communications committee.

Waetke has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a graduate degree in Integrated Corporate Communications from Drake University, Des Moines. He and his family live in Johnston, Iowa.

 

 

Ruth Heithoff

Ruth Heithoff

Ruth Heithoff

Ruth Heithoff was elected to the Clive Community Foundation Board in 2019. Ruth and her husband, Marc, along with their children Emma (19) and Josh (16) have lived in Clive since 2001. Ruth is a breast cancer survivor, and considers this experience as one of her biggest blessings. It has changed how she faces each day by taking nothing for granted, laughing off the little things, and loving big.

Ruth’s professional experience has primarily been focused on Sales. With a degree in Transportation Logistics she started her career in trucking industry sales. From there she has been employed at Katherine Beich, a Nestle Company, working with schools, churches, and various groups in fundraising. Helping groups with raising funds for programs got Ruth involved in volunteering and participating in community programs. Ruth went on to work for the confection division in sales for Hershey Foods Corporation, thus involving her with the Children’s Miracle Network.

Ruth’s primary focus the last few years has been serving on the Board of the Waukee Community Closet. This program was established to provide dignity and confidence to children, students, and families through the free distribution of high quality clothing to those in need in our community. She has been a part of the Closet since its inception. Ruth was recently elected the President of the Board, and has already implemented a name change to identify that they are serving all of Dallas County. She is also working to continuously secure new socks and underwear to meet the growing demand, along with the Waukee Leadership Institute to raise money for a van.

Ruth has her Bachelors in Business Administration with a degree in Transportation Logistics from Iowa State University, and loves her Cyclones!

 

 

Robert Forte

Robert Forte

Robert Forte

Since moving from Batavia, Illinois, to Des Moines in January 2016, Bob has become involved in several Clive community activities. He has served on the Board of Adjustments since 2017. He joined the Clive Community Health and Wellness Initiative in October 2017 and is currently the Track Coordinator for the Initiative. He was nominated and approved as a Board Member for the Clive Community Foundation in February 2019. He and his wife, Amy, have participated in the annual Clive Lions Club Holiday Basket program the past two years. He also spends one day a week at the Food Bank of Iowa serving as a Core Volunteer working with agencies and training volunteer groups.

While in Batavia, Bob volunteered at the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the Naperville Animal Shelter, and was a program coordinator at a Career Development Center.

His career includes 28 years in the beverage industry working for Miller Brewing Company and Sam Adams and 14 years in education working for Universal Technical Institute and WyoTech.

Bob has a BA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

He and his wife Amy have been married for 29 years and have three children. Austin, a 2015 Drake graduate, Zoe, who will graduate from Bradley University in 2019 with a nursing degree, and Mason, a recent graduate from Des Moines Area Community College in Business Administration.

 

 

Bob Landess

Bob Landess

Bob Landess
At-Large

Bob Landess is a retired attorney having practiced with the law firm of Hopkins & Heubner, P.C. in Des Moines. He previously held positions with the State of Iowa as Deputy Industrial Commissioner, Deputy Secretary of State, and Industrial Commissioner.

Bob has been a resident of Polk County since attending junior high school and a resident of Clive since 1984. He graduated from the University of Iowa and Drake Law School. He is married to Nancy Landess.

 

 

Jill Miller

Jill Miller

Jill Miller
Donor Relations Manager

Jill Miller joined the Clive Community Foundation Board in 2014. She is currently the Donor Relations Manager handling the Boards CRM database. She is also on the Events Committee for the Board.

Being born and raised in Ames, Jill moved around the country eventually settling in Clive. Jill lives with her husband, David, and they have two wonderful daughters. Jill is a Realtor with Iowa Realty and in her spare time loves to help out in the community. She is involved in the Clive Lion’s Club, currently representing them as Vice President. She is also on Clive’s Board of Adjustment serving as Vice Chairman. She volunteers regularly at Clive Community Services bringing them food from the Des Moines Co-op and clothing from various outlets. She is also a member of the Clive Chamber of Commerce.

Professionally, she is a member of IAR (Iowa Association of Realtors), DMAAR (Des Moines Area Association of Realtors) and NAR (National Association of Realtors). Jill graduated from the University of Iowa’s Tippe College of Business with a Bachelors in Business Administration with a major in Finance and a minor in Spanish.

 

 

Jane Fogg

Jane Fogg

Jane Fogg
Vice President

Jane Fogg was elected to the Clive Community Foundation Board in 2018, as Vice President in 2019 and is a member of the Grants Committee. A native Iowan she and her husband, Eric, have lived in Clive since 1985.

Jane’s professional experience has centered on public education and community change. She held the position of Community Impact Officer – Income for the United Way of Central Iowa leading efforts to improve economic self-sufficiency of low income families. Jane previously provided technical assistance to the Polk County Housing Continuum of Care and Primary Health Care.

Twice awarded the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, Jane served on the Iowa Commission for Volunteer Serve. She also served on numerous volunteer boards including three terms on the West Des Moines School Board. Currently Jane serves on the executive committee of the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, the Clear Lake Arts Center and the advisory board of Iowa Community Development.

Jane holds a BA from Stephens College and M.Ed. from the University of Missouri St. Louis.

 

 

Scott Cirksena

Mayor Scott C. Cirksena

Mayor Scott C. Cirksena
City of Clive, Iowa

Mayor Cirksena was first elected to the Clive City Council in 2003 and was re-elected to a second four- year term in 2007. He was subsequently elected to the position of Mayor in 2010 and re-elected to a third four-year term in 2017. He serves on the board of directors for Bravo Greater Des Moines and on the boards of the Metro Advisory Council, Dallas County Mayors, the Mid-Iowa Association of Local Governments, the Central Iowa Regional Drinking Water Commission, serves as Development Director for the Dallas County Foundation and is President of the Clive Community Foundation. Mayor Cirksena also served on the Governor’s Transportation 2020 Advisory Committee in 2011, the State of Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council/Transportation Land Use Committee in 2007 and the Des Moines International Airport Master Plan Review Committee in 2007. He is a member of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, has served as President of the Clive Lions Club and currently serves as Immediate Past President. He was also selected as Clive Citizen of the Year in 2007 and a Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40 award recipient in 2003.

Mayor Cirksena obtained a BA degree in Pre-Law from Grand View College, Des Moines, Iowa in 1988 and an MA degree in Management from Webster University, Kansas City, MO Campus, in 2001.

Scott and his wife Julie have a daughter, Mackenzie and son, Benjamin.