Volunteer Leaders: Patty Manuel

Secretary, Jones County Community Foundation 

• Hometown: Anamosa
• Career: Retired from Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative 
• Board member since: 2010

Tell us about yourself!

Service and family are important to me. In 1982,  I married my husband Brad and we moved to the farm in Olin where I still reside. I have volunteered in various ways all my life and find it very rewarding, but the Jones County Community Foundation is the one organization where I feel we collectively make a difference both for today and tomorrow. 

While Brad is no longer with us, we  have a son and family in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and a daughter and family nearby in Lisbon. I recently retired from Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative after over 43 rewarding years.Today I enjoy spending time with four grandchildren, traveling, exercise, golf and reading. 

What inspires you to serve on the Foundation board? 

We can see our grant efforts at work throughout our communities in new playgrounds, medical equipment, fire station improvements, economic development and tourism efforts, conservation and so much more. Each year, nonprofits present more awesome projects. I am most proud of the impact we've had around helping children. Through the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Vision To Learn and other projects, we are seeing improvements in the development of our children, and thus, our future.