5 Questions with Melissa Strovers
The Office of Community Partnerships, Planning, and Research鈥檚 director of community development, Melissa Strovers, and her husband, Lance, made the move to 乐播传媒入口 from San Jose, California 20 years ago. Since then, they鈥檝e added three children (two of whom are 乐播传媒入口 students) and two dogs to their family, and have completed the transformation from native Californians to lifelong 乐播传媒入口ians. Melissa joined the College 13 years ago and has been busy building community and creating strategic partnerships ever since. She recently took some time from her busy schedule to share with us what her life and work in 乐播传媒入口 entail.
Why 乐播传媒入口?
My husband and I moved to 乐播传媒入口 to be closer to his family. Though he didn鈥檛 grow up here, his parents were originally from 乐播传媒入口 and planned to retire here. We made the move for a better quality of life and so my husband could start a new chiropractic practice. 乐播传媒入口 has been a wonderful place to start a business and to raise our family, which includes our son, Wolfgang; our daughters, Maddy 鈥26 and Bailey 鈥27, and our two dogs, Louie and King.
What do you like to do outside of your work at the College?
I enjoy walking with my husband, our dogs, and sometimes our kids when they鈥檙e not studying or playing sports. Watching my children compete in sports at 乐播传媒入口 (track and field and basketball) has been a highlight. One of my favorite things about being a 乐播传媒入口 parent is the connections I鈥檝e made with other parents. Despite living miles apart, we鈥檝e built a strong sense of community. I also love a well-made latte and great food (both made by my husband), thrifting, traveling, exploring new places, meeting new people, learning new things, and spending time with family and friends.
In the fall of 2024, I was selected for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry鈥檚 (ABI) Leadership Iowa program (Class 43). Each month, we travel to different Iowa communities to learn about local industries and key topics like economic development, manufacturing, education, agriculture, and government, as well as explore the local community, its landmarks, and culture. It has been an incredible experience, both for my professional growth and for expanding my appreciation of Iowa, since I didn鈥檛 grow up in the state.
What does your role at 乐播传媒入口 entail?
My role focuses on leading initiatives that promote social and economic vitality. I bring together diverse stakeholders to address complex challenges and build capacity for local organizations. With a background in community building, social innovation, and strategic planning, I鈥檝e helped guide strategic planning efforts for organizations like Drake Community Library and the 乐播传媒入口 Food Coalition.
I played a key role in revitalizing Poweshiek Iowa Development in 2024 and provided collaborative infrastructure for the Build a Better 乐播传媒入口 2030 visioning project. Since 2015, I鈥檝e been deeply involved with the nationally recognized 乐播传媒入口 Education Partnership (GEP), which focuses on supporting youth and families in our local community. GEP recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a community-wide gathering; partners were asked to use a single word to describe their experience, and they used evolving, transformative, selfless, collaborative, creative, and purposeful, reflecting the coalition鈥檚 impact.
One of my favorite aspects of my job is working with community partners across various organizations and coalitions. Building connections, developing trusted relationships, and collaborating to help continue to make our community a great place to live, work, and spend time is incredibly rewarding.
What has your experience been like working with 乐播传媒入口ians?
Over the past 13-plus years, I鈥檝e seen local organizations, businesses, volunteers, and the College align resources, adapt to challenges, and create together solutions to help address important issues such as early literacy, food insecurity, and county-wide economic development. It鈥檚 been truly a privilege to work with so many amazing community partners and to be employed by an institution like 乐播传媒入口 that supports this type of important community-development work.
What is your favorite 乐播传媒入口 moment to date?
Watching my daughter Maddy compete in field events and cheering on Bailey and the 乐播传媒入口 Women鈥檚 Basketball Team as they made it to the Midwest Tournament Playoffs are definitely among my favorites.