October YP Connector

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Contents
4// Dubuque Mayoral Candidates
Looking ahead to our October YP Luncheon
6 // Rep. Shannon Lundgren
Reviewing the impact of our September YP luncheon
presenter
8// Night at the Museum Party Recap
10 // YP Symposium
12 // Blog: Four Tips For Networking
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14 // Sponsor Highlight
Recognizing Dupaco Community Credit Union
16 // YP Sponsors
17 // Upcoming Events
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION
#YPDUBUQUE

David Resnick
Overview
David Resnick, of 2341 Coventry Park, #207, was first
elected to the Dubuque City Council in 2007. He
was re-elected in November 2019 and is currently
serving his fourth term. He is one of two at-large
members.
Background
Councilman Resnick is a native Iowan and has
resided in Dubuque since 1984. He was on the
Fine Arts faculty of Clarke University in Dubuque
from 1993 to 2018 during which time he held
many leadership positions at the college and was
a presenter for the prestigious Mackin-Mailander
Lecture Series. He is currently the executive director
of the Northeast Iowa School of Music (NISOM) in
Dubuque. Councilman Resnick and his wife, Mimi,
have four children.
Civic Involvement
Councilman Resnick holds a Master of Music
Education degree from Northern Illinois University
and a permanent professional teaching certificate
from the State of Iowa. He has been involved in
a broad spectrum of community organizations
including the Dubuque Arts Council, Dubuque
Chamber of Commerce, the Langworthy
Neighborhood Association, and the Grand Opera
House. He is also a member of many professional
and musical performance organizations.
Brad Cavanagh
Overview
Brad Cavanagh, of 565 Fenelon Place., was elected
to the Dubuque City Council in November 2019 to
represent the city’s Fourth Ward.
Background
Brad has worked as an associate professor of social
work at Loras College since 2010. His previous
professional experience includes working as a mental
health counselor for Crossroads Counseling Center
and psychotherapist and operations manager for
Pathways for Aging. He holds a bachelor’s degree
in social work from the University of Iowa and
a master’s degree in social work from St. Louis
University. Brad and his wife, Jennifer Cavanagh, have
two sons.
Civic Involvement
Brad is a Dubuque native and was a member of the
Dubuque Housing Commission. He also served as
vice chairman of the Dubuque County Food Policy
Council, was a board member for the Fountain of
Youth, and is a co-founder of Resources Unite.

REP.
Shannon Lundgren
Shannon Lundgren, State of Iowa Representative and Owner of Trackside Bar &
Grill in Peosta, Iowa, talked with young professionals about why it is essential to
stay involved in government and answered some important questions at the YP
luncheon on September 15, 2021.
Shannon was first elected to the Iowa House in 2016 and is serving in her third
term. As a member of the Iowa House, she has a proven track record of standing
up for her constituents in District 57, and her voting record shows that she has
their best interest at heart.
Shannon managed several complex bills early in her tenure. Her work on complex
bills, along with her leadership skills, has earned her the Chair seat for the House
Human Resource Committee, a committee that works on health policy issues
for the state. She continues to work on lowering the cost of prescription drugs,
transparency in the state’s Department of Human Services and the Department
of Public Health, and works tirelessly on affordable access to healthcare for
Iowans.
Throughout Shannon’s presentation, she reiterated
the importance of getting involved in government
as a young professional. She talked about connecting
with and reaching out to your state representatives
and senators. Shannon even discussed the
importance of lobbyists and spoke about how many
people think lobbyists are bad, but she said not to
discount them entirely. Lobbyists aren’t all bad, and
they help make a real difference for those smaller
groups in the state in getting their concerns heard.
Shannon said to stay engaged – in all aspects of
government.
Shannon demonstrated the multi-step process a bill
takes to get passed. As a committee chair, she often
has to make subcommittees for complex bills that
come their way, and it can take a long time to get the
bill out of the house. She also discussed that many of
the bills she sees, works on, and passes along never
see the light of day. That also goes for many bills that
are introduced.
Shannon advised those who may be thinking about
running for any type of election. She said, “Don’t be
wishy-washy in the legislature.”
Shannon also talked about how she votes based on
her constituency, not her party. In her past, there have
been times she upset her party members because she
chose to vote opposite of them to vote based on what
her District wanted. That is a challenging position to
be in, but she said, “you have to do what you can to
vote and represent your district.”
She also said that if you run for any sort of elected
office, you have to have thick skin, a little bit of a
sense of humor, and not let the 10 percent of people
who disagree with you bother you. Shannon said
that you can’t please everyone, and you must accept
that, smile through it, and don’t read the negative.
Shannon commented that the political climate is
probably not going to get much easier, and you have
to stick to your gut. She clarified that in her experience
as a representative, 90 percent of it has been highly
positive.
Shannon opened up the floor to YP members for any
questions they may have. Here are a few of the top
questions asked and answered by Rep. Lungren.
What is the biggest misconception about getting
involved in politics?
That it is a part-time job. Iowa has a working
legislature, meaning that our state legislatures have
full-time jobs and home lives away from the capital.
Shannon said that it can be difficult to be away from
home and balance a regular lifestyle and the capital.
How do you stay apprised and knowledgeable on so
many different topics?
Shannon said it is a combination of a lot of things.
She reads…a lot! She works with lobbyists and trusts
them and others who may have more information
on a specific topic. Shannon also said she caucuses
and analyzes bills to help learn more before making a
decision. She said, “You can’t read everything, and you
have to trust your committee chairs.”
What was the biggest hurdle you overcame to run for
State Representative?
Shannon simply said, “The fear of losing. You have to set fear
aside, and people will respect you for trying. Not trying is far
worse than losing.”
What resources do you recommend to those who are
considering running for an elected position?
Shannon said to talk to everyone, learn about what you are
getting into. She said it is important to understand what the
job is first before running. She recalled reaching out to Nancy
Dunkel, the previous State Representative and not in the same
party as her, to talk about the job. After her chat with Dunkel,
Shannon turned in her papers because she learned that being
a state representative was precisely what she wanted to do.
Shannon also said door knocking is vital. It is about showing
people who you are and having real conversations and then
building your team.
She also said fundraising and self-fundraising are essential, and
that goes back to talking to everyone! Attend social events.
Shannon ended this advice with, “Meet people in their world
and lead them to yours.”
What is the most significant commonality between being a
business owner and being in government?
Shannon said that as a business owner and as a state
representative, you won’t like every person you come in contact
with, but you learn to leave it be, and be as gracious as much
as you can. A level of diplomacy is the best attribute a business
owner and someone in politics can have. Shannon concluded
this thought with, “Be honest, if you change your mind, tell
them,” – your customers, your party, or your constituents.”
What type of people do you recommend surrounding yourself
with when in an elected position?
Shannon said this was an easy question, “Positive people.” She
said her feelings don’t get hurt too quickly, but being around
positive individuals helps with that.
She said she is lucky that her full-time job surrounds her with
family and friends, both her colleagues and customers. She
surrounds herself with average people because that is who she
is – she just happens to put on a suit in the winter and helps
pass laws.
What is the most exciting/memorable experience that has
come out of your time serving as a state representative?
The Field of Dreams and Major League Baseball project that
she finally saw come to light on August 12, 2021. She said she
hopes to continue this partnership for Dubuque County with
MLB for years to come, not just a couple.
What do you want your legacy to be?
Shannon said she wants to serve another one to two terms as a
state representative, but the most incredible legacy she wants
to leave is one where people felt like she listened to them.
“Even though I may not agree with everyone on everything, I
still want people to feel heard. To feel that I was honest and that
I didn’t make others feel bad for having a different opinion.”
She added, “That I did my job every day, and I communicated
well.”
Shannon is a known truth-teller, always direct yet very
diplomatic. She demonstrated that through her open and
honest approach with the young professionals that attended
the event.

Thank You!
Thank you so much to all who attended the YP’s Night at the Museum! We
had a wonderful time, and are extremely grateful to the Dubuque Art Museum
and Barton Wealth Management for hosting. We hope everyone enjoyed the
evening! If you have questions about how to get more involved? Contact Justine
Paradiso at jehlers@dubuquechamber.com

Keynote Presenters
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH
11:30 AM - 5 PM
HOLIDAY INN DUBUQUE
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS DUBUQUE SYMPOSIUM 2021
The Dubuque Area Chamber’s Young Professionals Symposium is designed
to give its participants an out-of-the-box look at development. Whether
it be professional or personal, we strive to present our members with
information that will matter as they progress in their careers. We want to
be that local resource where Dubuque’s workforce attends our events to
help them flourish and succeed.
Questions? Call the Chamber at 563.557.9200 or contact a YP Board member for details.
Amanda
Goodman
Amanda Goodman is an Emmy-award-winning
journalist and outspoken advocate for children –
she is known to not be afraid to rattle some cages.

Forget what it feels like to interact in person in a social setting? Yeah, me too!
When you head to your next YP event, here are four networking tips to remember:
1. Introduce Yourself
to Someone New
It is easy to sit with your co-workers or familiar
faces. Instead, find a seat at a table where
you don’t know anyone. Worst case – you
exchange greetings, share an awkward pause,
and you will be out of there soon. Best case
– you get to know someone new and become
acquaintances or friends over time.
2. Lead with
Questions
When striking up a conversation, lead with a few
questions to get the other person talking. Where
they went to school? What field of work are they in?
Do they have family in town?
4 Tips for
Networking
3. Listen Intently
Don’t ask questions, then tune out to look at who
is walking in the room or where your co-worker is
grabbing a seat. When distracted, you likely won’t
even remember the person’s name, let alone
learn much about that person.
4.Find
Common Ground
Look for connection points such as someone you
know who works at the same company or having
kids the same age. When you can start to relate
and discuss commonalities, this is where the
conversation gets fun.
WES HARTIG
MedOne Pharmacy Benefit Solutions and YP Co-Director of Sponsor Relations
If the conversation goes well, look for the person at the next YP
event or grab coffee with them as a follow-up. Cheers!

Sponsor Highlight
Dupaco Community Credit Union is a notfor-profit,
member-owned financial cooperative
dedicated to the financial well-being of its members,
and specializes in personalize financial counseling,
money advice and education. Offering savings, loans,
investments, insurance and wealth management
products for individuals and businesses, Dupaco
membership has grown to more than 143,000 with
more than 600 employees and 19 branch office
locations. Dupaco is a Community Development
Financial Institution (CDFI), a Forbes Best-in-
State Credit Union and a Des Moines Register Top
Workplace. Learn more at www.dupaco.com
What does YP mean to your business /
employees?
YP is an extension of Dupaco’s internal training.
Employee engagement with YP gives us an edge in
employee retention and performance.
Employees engaging and networking with peers
and leaders from a diverse set of industries helps to
broaden their minds and helps them discover new
talents.
The investments we make in allowing employees the
time to engage in YP Dubuque is not just a benefit
to our employees, it is truly an investment in our
business.

Upcoming Events
YP Symposium
Wednesday, November 17
11:30 AM – 5:00 PM
John Gronen
Wednesday, December 15

Thanks
Reading
FOR
For more information on YP Dubuque please contact the Dubuque Area Chamber at
office@dubuquechamber.com or 563.557.9200
Young Professionals Dubuque is a program of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce