October YP Connector
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PAGE 4<br />
PAGE 6<br />
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Contents<br />
4// Dubuque Mayoral Candidates<br />
Looking ahead to our <strong>October</strong> <strong>YP</strong> Luncheon<br />
6 // Rep. Shannon Lundgren<br />
Reviewing the impact of our September <strong>YP</strong> luncheon<br />
presenter<br />
8// Night at the Museum Party Recap<br />
10 // <strong>YP</strong> Symposium<br />
12 // Blog: Four Tips For Networking<br />
PAGE 10<br />
14 // Sponsor Highlight<br />
Recognizing Dupaco Community Credit Union<br />
16 // <strong>YP</strong> Sponsors<br />
17 // Upcoming Events<br />
PAGE 12<br />
PAGE 14<br />
JOIN THE CONVERSATION<br />
#<strong>YP</strong>DUBUQUE
David Resnick<br />
Overview<br />
David Resnick, of 2341 Coventry Park, #207, was first<br />
elected to the Dubuque City Council in 2007. He<br />
was re-elected in November 2019 and is currently<br />
serving his fourth term. He is one of two at-large<br />
members.<br />
Background<br />
Councilman Resnick is a native Iowan and has<br />
resided in Dubuque since 1984. He was on the<br />
Fine Arts faculty of Clarke University in Dubuque<br />
from 1993 to 2018 during which time he held<br />
many leadership positions at the college and was<br />
a presenter for the prestigious Mackin-Mailander<br />
Lecture Series. He is currently the executive director<br />
of the Northeast Iowa School of Music (NISOM) in<br />
Dubuque. Councilman Resnick and his wife, Mimi,<br />
have four children.<br />
Civic Involvement<br />
Councilman Resnick holds a Master of Music<br />
Education degree from Northern Illinois University<br />
and a permanent professional teaching certificate<br />
from the State of Iowa. He has been involved in<br />
a broad spectrum of community organizations<br />
including the Dubuque Arts Council, Dubuque<br />
Chamber of Commerce, the Langworthy<br />
Neighborhood Association, and the Grand Opera<br />
House. He is also a member of many professional<br />
and musical performance organizations.<br />
Brad Cavanagh<br />
Overview<br />
Brad Cavanagh, of 565 Fenelon Place., was elected<br />
to the Dubuque City Council in November 2019 to<br />
represent the city’s Fourth Ward.<br />
Background<br />
Brad has worked as an associate professor of social<br />
work at Loras College since 2010. His previous<br />
professional experience includes working as a mental<br />
health counselor for Crossroads Counseling Center<br />
and psychotherapist and operations manager for<br />
Pathways for Aging. He holds a bachelor’s degree<br />
in social work from the University of Iowa and<br />
a master’s degree in social work from St. Louis<br />
University. Brad and his wife, Jennifer Cavanagh, have<br />
two sons.<br />
Civic Involvement<br />
Brad is a Dubuque native and was a member of the<br />
Dubuque Housing Commission. He also served as<br />
vice chairman of the Dubuque County Food Policy<br />
Council, was a board member for the Fountain of<br />
Youth, and is a co-founder of Resources Unite.
REP.<br />
Shannon Lundgren<br />
Shannon Lundgren, State of Iowa Representative and Owner of Trackside Bar &<br />
Grill in Peosta, Iowa, talked with young professionals about why it is essential to<br />
stay involved in government and answered some important questions at the <strong>YP</strong><br />
luncheon on September 15, 2021.<br />
Shannon was first elected to the Iowa House in 2016 and is serving in her third<br />
term. As a member of the Iowa House, she has a proven track record of standing<br />
up for her constituents in District 57, and her voting record shows that she has<br />
their best interest at heart.<br />
Shannon managed several complex bills early in her tenure. Her work on complex<br />
bills, along with her leadership skills, has earned her the Chair seat for the House<br />
Human Resource Committee, a committee that works on health policy issues<br />
for the state. She continues to work on lowering the cost of prescription drugs,<br />
transparency in the state’s Department of Human Services and the Department<br />
of Public Health, and works tirelessly on affordable access to healthcare for<br />
Iowans.<br />
Throughout Shannon’s presentation, she reiterated<br />
the importance of getting involved in government<br />
as a young professional. She talked about connecting<br />
with and reaching out to your state representatives<br />
and senators. Shannon even discussed the<br />
importance of lobbyists and spoke about how many<br />
people think lobbyists are bad, but she said not to<br />
discount them entirely. Lobbyists aren’t all bad, and<br />
they help make a real difference for those smaller<br />
groups in the state in getting their concerns heard.<br />
Shannon said to stay engaged – in all aspects of<br />
government.<br />
Shannon demonstrated the multi-step process a bill<br />
takes to get passed. As a committee chair, she often<br />
has to make subcommittees for complex bills that<br />
come their way, and it can take a long time to get the<br />
bill out of the house. She also discussed that many of<br />
the bills she sees, works on, and passes along never<br />
see the light of day. That also goes for many bills that<br />
are introduced.<br />
Shannon advised those who may be thinking about<br />
running for any type of election. She said, “Don’t be<br />
wishy-washy in the legislature.”<br />
Shannon also talked about how she votes based on<br />
her constituency, not her party. In her past, there have<br />
been times she upset her party members because she<br />
chose to vote opposite of them to vote based on what<br />
her District wanted. That is a challenging position to<br />
be in, but she said, “you have to do what you can to<br />
vote and represent your district.”<br />
She also said that if you run for any sort of elected<br />
office, you have to have thick skin, a little bit of a<br />
sense of humor, and not let the 10 percent of people<br />
who disagree with you bother you. Shannon said<br />
that you can’t please everyone, and you must accept<br />
that, smile through it, and don’t read the negative.<br />
Shannon commented that the political climate is<br />
probably not going to get much easier, and you have<br />
to stick to your gut. She clarified that in her experience<br />
as a representative, 90 percent of it has been highly<br />
positive.<br />
Shannon opened up the floor to <strong>YP</strong> members for any<br />
questions they may have. Here are a few of the top<br />
questions asked and answered by Rep. Lungren.<br />
What is the biggest misconception about getting<br />
involved in politics?<br />
That it is a part-time job. Iowa has a working<br />
legislature, meaning that our state legislatures have<br />
full-time jobs and home lives away from the capital.<br />
Shannon said that it can be difficult to be away from<br />
home and balance a regular lifestyle and the capital.<br />
How do you stay apprised and knowledgeable on so<br />
many different topics?<br />
Shannon said it is a combination of a lot of things.<br />
She reads…a lot! She works with lobbyists and trusts<br />
them and others who may have more information<br />
on a specific topic. Shannon also said she caucuses<br />
and analyzes bills to help learn more before making a<br />
decision. She said, “You can’t read everything, and you<br />
have to trust your committee chairs.”<br />
What was the biggest hurdle you overcame to run for<br />
State Representative?<br />
Shannon simply said, “The fear of losing. You have to set fear<br />
aside, and people will respect you for trying. Not trying is far<br />
worse than losing.”<br />
What resources do you recommend to those who are<br />
considering running for an elected position?<br />
Shannon said to talk to everyone, learn about what you are<br />
getting into. She said it is important to understand what the<br />
job is first before running. She recalled reaching out to Nancy<br />
Dunkel, the previous State Representative and not in the same<br />
party as her, to talk about the job. After her chat with Dunkel,<br />
Shannon turned in her papers because she learned that being<br />
a state representative was precisely what she wanted to do.<br />
Shannon also said door knocking is vital. It is about showing<br />
people who you are and having real conversations and then<br />
building your team.<br />
She also said fundraising and self-fundraising are essential, and<br />
that goes back to talking to everyone! Attend social events.<br />
Shannon ended this advice with, “Meet people in their world<br />
and lead them to yours.”<br />
What is the most significant commonality between being a<br />
business owner and being in government?<br />
Shannon said that as a business owner and as a state<br />
representative, you won’t like every person you come in contact<br />
with, but you learn to leave it be, and be as gracious as much<br />
as you can. A level of diplomacy is the best attribute a business<br />
owner and someone in politics can have. Shannon concluded<br />
this thought with, “Be honest, if you change your mind, tell<br />
them,” – your customers, your party, or your constituents.”<br />
What type of people do you recommend surrounding yourself<br />
with when in an elected position?<br />
Shannon said this was an easy question, “Positive people.” She<br />
said her feelings don’t get hurt too quickly, but being around<br />
positive individuals helps with that.<br />
She said she is lucky that her full-time job surrounds her with<br />
family and friends, both her colleagues and customers. She<br />
surrounds herself with average people because that is who she<br />
is – she just happens to put on a suit in the winter and helps<br />
pass laws.<br />
What is the most exciting/memorable experience that has<br />
come out of your time serving as a state representative?<br />
The Field of Dreams and Major League Baseball project that<br />
she finally saw come to light on August 12, 2021. She said she<br />
hopes to continue this partnership for Dubuque County with<br />
MLB for years to come, not just a couple.<br />
What do you want your legacy to be?<br />
Shannon said she wants to serve another one to two terms as a<br />
state representative, but the most incredible legacy she wants<br />
to leave is one where people felt like she listened to them.<br />
“Even though I may not agree with everyone on everything, I<br />
still want people to feel heard. To feel that I was honest and that<br />
I didn’t make others feel bad for having a different opinion.”<br />
She added, “That I did my job every day, and I communicated<br />
well.”<br />
Shannon is a known truth-teller, always direct yet very<br />
diplomatic. She demonstrated that through her open and<br />
honest approach with the young professionals that attended<br />
the event.
Thank You!<br />
Thank you so much to all who attended the <strong>YP</strong>’s Night at the Museum! We<br />
had a wonderful time, and are extremely grateful to the Dubuque Art Museum<br />
and Barton Wealth Management for hosting. We hope everyone enjoyed the<br />
evening! If you have questions about how to get more involved? Contact Justine<br />
Paradiso at jehlers@dubuquechamber.com
Keynote Presenters<br />
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH<br />
11:30 AM - 5 PM<br />
HOLIDAY INN DUBUQUE<br />
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS DUBUQUE SYMPOSIUM 2021<br />
The Dubuque Area Chamber’s Young Professionals Symposium is designed<br />
to give its participants an out-of-the-box look at development. Whether<br />
it be professional or personal, we strive to present our members with<br />
information that will matter as they progress in their careers. We want to<br />
be that local resource where Dubuque’s workforce attends our events to<br />
help them flourish and succeed.<br />
Questions? Call the Chamber at 563.557.9200 or contact a <strong>YP</strong> Board member for details.<br />
Amanda<br />
Goodman<br />
Amanda Goodman is an Emmy-award-winning<br />
journalist and outspoken advocate for children –<br />
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!<br />
When you head to your next <strong>YP</strong> event, here are four networking tips to remember:<br />
1. Introduce Yourself<br />
to Someone New<br />
It is easy to sit with your co-workers or familiar<br />
faces. Instead, find a seat at a table where<br />
you don’t know anyone. Worst case – you<br />
exchange greetings, share an awkward pause,<br />
and you will be out of there soon. Best case<br />
– you get to know someone new and become<br />
acquaintances or friends over time.<br />
2. Lead with<br />
Questions<br />
When striking up a conversation, lead with a few<br />
questions to get the other person talking. Where<br />
they went to school? What field of work are they in?<br />
Do they have family in town?<br />
4 Tips for<br />
Networking<br />
3. Listen Intently<br />
Don’t ask questions, then tune out to look at who<br />
is walking in the room or where your co-worker is<br />
grabbing a seat. When distracted, you likely won’t<br />
even remember the person’s name, let alone<br />
learn much about that person.<br />
4.Find<br />
Common Ground<br />
Look for connection points such as someone you<br />
know who works at the same company or having<br />
kids the same age. When you can start to relate<br />
and discuss commonalities, this is where the<br />
conversation gets fun.<br />
WES HARTIG<br />
MedOne Pharmacy Benefit Solutions and <strong>YP</strong> Co-Director of Sponsor Relations<br />
If the conversation goes well, look for the person at the next <strong>YP</strong><br />
event or grab coffee with them as a follow-up. Cheers!
Sponsor Highlight<br />
Dupaco Community Credit Union is a notfor-profit,<br />
member-owned financial cooperative<br />
dedicated to the financial well-being of its members,<br />
and specializes in personalize financial counseling,<br />
money advice and education. Offering savings, loans,<br />
investments, insurance and wealth management<br />
products for individuals and businesses, Dupaco<br />
membership has grown to more than 143,000 with<br />
more than 600 employees and 19 branch office<br />
locations. Dupaco is a Community Development<br />
Financial Institution (CDFI), a Forbes Best-in-<br />
State Credit Union and a Des Moines Register Top<br />
Workplace. Learn more at www.dupaco.com<br />
What does <strong>YP</strong> mean to your business /<br />
employees?<br />
<strong>YP</strong> is an extension of Dupaco’s internal training.<br />
Employee engagement with <strong>YP</strong> gives us an edge in<br />
employee retention and performance.<br />
Employees engaging and networking with peers<br />
and leaders from a diverse set of industries helps to<br />
broaden their minds and helps them discover new<br />
talents.<br />
The investments we make in allowing employees the<br />
time to engage in <strong>YP</strong> Dubuque is not just a benefit<br />
to our employees, it is truly an investment in our<br />
business.
Upcoming Events<br />
<strong>YP</strong> Symposium<br />
Wednesday, November 17<br />
11:30 AM – 5:00 PM<br />
John Gronen<br />
Wednesday, December 15
Thanks<br />
Reading<br />
FOR<br />
For more information on <strong>YP</strong> Dubuque please contact the Dubuque Area Chamber at<br />
office@dubuquechamber.com or 563.557.9200<br />
Young Professionals Dubuque is a program of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce