Jefferson

TAMA — As a school resource officer (SRO) at his alma mater of South Tama County, the chairman of the Meskwaki Nation Tribal Council and a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps and the Army National Guard, Vern Jefferson has a long history of public service, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. It was recently announced that Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has named him the state’s nominee for the prestigious Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award, which will be awarded at the upcoming National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) summer meeting this August.

“I was more surprised that he personally called me. Researching the award, I was overwhelmed that I would be considered for such a prestigious award,” Jefferson said. “The nomination, in my opinion, isn’t mine alone, but all the people behind the scenes who help me accomplish the work I do. So thank you to the one who helped me be successful.”

Jefferson became the tribal council chairman in 2021 and joined the Toledo Police Department as the STC SRO in 2023. Prior to that, he was an officer with the Marshalltown Police Department for 20 years.

“I think what I’ve learned the most is that it’s really important to build relationships with students and staff,” he said of his SRO job. “Being from around here helps out a lot.”

In a press release, Meskwaki Nation Tribal Operations Executive Director JoAnn YoungBear offered her congratulations to Chairman Jefferson on the nomination.

“We are honored to see Chairman Jefferson recognized on a national level. He shows what it means to serve others with heart, strength, and respect. His actions reflect the values of our people,” she said.

In addition to the aforementioned nomination, Jefferson was also headed off to the 16th annual Iowa Association of School Resource Officers School Safety Conference in Johnston earlier this week to present on officer-involved shootings and mental health, a topic with which he has firsthand experience after being shot in the leg during the robbery of the Lennox Credit Union in Marshalltown in 2012 and subsequently returning fire at one of the suspects.

“I really believe in a lot of preparation and (knowing) what to expect, and that helps out a lot,” he said. “I knew everything prior to an incident such as this, but I learned how to work through it. Passing the information that will help officers be resilient in the future.”

Jefferson credited his wife Misty, who works for the Iowa Department of Corrections as a parole/probation officer, with pushing him to help others and working toward other goals like completing an Ironman Triathlon.

“I have to end with what my parents taught me. ‘Help when you are able to, you don’t have to be asked, just go help and don’t expect anything in return, you’ll get paid back one way or another,'” he said. “If we work together, we can accomplish more than we know.”

——

Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

maharry@timesrepublican.com.