Olberding

“Our town, our people” is a weekly Q&A with a local resident who is active in the community. Have a suggestion for someone we should talk to? Email T-R news editor Emily Barske at ebarske@timesrepublican.com. 

Lynn Olberding is the executive director of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce and has lived here for almost 17 years.

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: “I’m passionate about the community. I appreciate being in a position that allows me to give back and work with a lot of different people. I’m also really passionate about my kids, and my kids’ activities, and being involved in things that my kids are involved in, and making sure they’re staying active and doing things to give back.”

Q: What community activities do you participate in?

A: “I’m a member of the Assistance League of Marshalltown. That is a group of 40 women that work throughout the year and raise funds to give back to the community in various projects that we support. I’m the president of my kids’ PTO at Franklin elementary, I’m a Cub Scout den leader for my son’s Curious Scout pack, I’m a member of Trinity Lutheran, a member of the Regional Workforce Development board, the Marshalltown Business Education Alliance and a I’m a Junior Achievement volunteer.”

Q: What do you enjoy about this community?

A: “Marshalltown has a can-do spirit unlike a lot of other places I’ve been. It seems like if there’s a good idea, the community will support it, and find ways to make it happen, and provide the funding needed. That’s very unique.”

Q: What changes do you feel need to be made in the community?

A: “I think we all agree, especially post tornado, there is a need for additional housing. So, I think that increasing housing opportunities for people, they’ll choose to live here, and that provides us opportunities to grow some of our quality of life opportunities in the community. So, expanding recreational trails, additional kids’ activities, family activities, things for people to do on the weekends …. By keeping people here, it provides us growth.”

Q: What social stigma do you wish you could change?

A: “As part of my job, I facilitate the Iowa Valley Leadership Program, and the leadership class just did a poverty simulation last week, and I that particular stimulation opened my eyes to some challenges that those in poverty go through. So, I would say changing the stigmas about poverty, and more education about programs available for those in poverty, would be something I think could really help the community.”

Q: What advice would you pass on to a young person?

A: “Get involved. It’s the only way to make a change. If there’s something you don’t like about a situation, the only way to change it is to be involved in making it better.”

If there’s something you don’t like about a situation, the only way to change it is to be involved in making it better.”