Foundation welcomes Dzaboff, Schmitz
The Foundation for the Future of Delaware County is excited to welcome two new advisory board members, who will support its mission to improve quality of life for those in Delaware County: Jane Dzaboff, representing the Earlville area, and Mike Schmitz, representing Greeley.
“Jane and Mike each bring a unique skillset and background to our work,” says Vicki Spellerberg, chair of the advisory board. “We welcome their expertise and look forward to strengthening partnerships and building new connections in their communities.”
Dzaboff has many strong connections with community members thanks to her four-decade career as a nurse. For 32 of those years, she worked in the cardiac rehab department at Regional Medical Center in Manchester. She also served as the employee health and wellness coordinator. She is a former president of the Maquoketa Valley Athletic Boosters.
“After retirement, I was interested in volunteer work in order to give back to the great community where I have lived most of my life. I am really looking forward to the grant review process and seeing all the great ideas of the nonprofit agencies in Delaware County,” Dzaboff says. “The Foundation does a lot of work to enhance the health and wellness of area residents, and I am excited to be a part of that.”
Dzaboff lives on an acreage with her husband, Ron, the shop foreman for Delaware County Secondary Roads. The Dzaboffs have three adult sons, Derek, Aaron and Benjamin. In her free time, she enjoys pickleball, reading, and following the Kansas City Chiefs, Hawkeye sports and professional tennis.
Mike Schmitz is a 1984 graduate of West Delaware High School and has spent the last 37 years working for Collins Aerospace. He has a passion for advocacy and volunteering, especially for conservation and habitat projects.
Schmitz is the president of the Iowa Pheasants Forever state council and is a member of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation. Aptly nicknamed “Committee Smitty,” he currently serves on the Greeley City Council, Delaware County Conservation Board and St. Mark Parish Council in Edgewood, and is chair of the Delaware County Solid Waste Commission and the secretary of Delaware County Pheasants Forever. This May, he will be inducted into the Iowa Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever Hall of Fame.
“I’m not one to seek awards or medals, but my parents were great mentors in volunteering in the community and helping others,” he says. “Since moving back to Delaware County in 1987, my civil and volunteer service has provided me with a very diverse set of experiences at both the state and local level.”
Schmitz has followed the Foundation since its inception and believes it’s a fantastic tool for supporting rural Iowa. “I’m a past grant applicant, and I look forward to learning about the goals and projects other Delaware County residents envision to improve quality of life here,” he says.
For fun, Schmitz turns to hunting, fishing, caring for his four English Springer Spaniels, grilling and smoking meats, and spending time at the Schmitz family cabin. He also enjoys traveling, ISU sports, and hosting family and friends. He and his wife of 25 years, Karen, have two adult daughters, Mackenzie and Alexandria, and have hosted three exchange students who are also members of the family: Laura, Meri and Jorge.
The Foundation offers many opportunities to improve quality of life by addressing an array of local issues. To learn more about how you can establish a fund or make a gift that impacts your community, contact Executive Director Amanda Diers at 563-880-3816.