contributed photo 2024 award recipient Tom McCoy (left) presents the 2025 award to Dr. Dennis Drager (right)

Dr. Dennis Drager was honored recently by the Rotary Club of Marshalltown with the Kenneth Brintnall Award. This is the highest award bestowed on any member by the Club. The award is granted to a Rotarian for a lifetime of service achievement in the Rotary tradition of Service Above Self.

Dennis grew up in Tipton, Iowa. After high school, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving as a mechanic. Following his military service, he pursued his passion at Iowa State University, graduating from the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. He built his career in Marshalltown, where he would spend decades helping families care for their companion animals–and where he would raise his son and eventually delight in spending time with his two granddaughters.

Dennis’s story extends far beyond the walls of his veterinary clinic. His commitment to service is staggering in its breadth and depth. He’s served on boards and trusts throughout the Marshalltown community–Susie Sower, the Ann Keyser Trust, the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, the Animal Rescue League, First United Methodist Church, Elmwood Country Club, and as Vice Commander of the American Legion. He has also served as a Marshalltown Reserve Police Officer.

Drager’s humanitarian heart has taken him far from Iowa. In 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, he traveled to Mississippi to deliver supplies and provide veterinary care in the disaster zone. True to his call to service, he came home with a dog who needed rescuing. He’s traveled to Mexico four times on Rotary mission trips, each time bringing his skills and compassion to communities in need.

And his vision for serving those in need didn’t stop there. He co-founded the Rotary Club of HOPE–Homeless Outreach, Prevention and Education–demonstrating that his compassion extends to every member of our community, especially those who are most vulnerable.

In the Rotary Club of Marshalltown, which he joined in 2000, Drager has held numerous leadership positions including Club President and District Governor. He’s been a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards volunteer, believing deeply that youth are integral to Rotary’s future. Drager stated that the highlight of his Rotary experience was hosting students from a Brazilian Rotary Exchange program from 2018 to 2022–an experience he encourages every Rotarian to consider.

After retiring from veterinary practice in 2020, Dennis and his wife, Heidi, moved to Urbandale to be closer to family. But Marshalltown will always be home to their hearts.