Hart elected to Iowa League  of Cities Executive Board


Quentin Hart, Mayor of Waterloo, was elected to serve on the Executive Board of the Iowa League of Cities. Hart became a League Board Director on September 29 during the League’s Annual Business Meeting, held in conjunction with their Annual Conference & Exhibit in Davenport.

Hart served as Waterloo’s Ward 4 Councilman for eight years before being elected as Waterloo’s first African-American mayor. Among a long list of leadership awards and accolades, Hart received the League’s Rhonda Wood Smith Award for Outstanding Young City Official in 2015. Hart has also served on the League’s Legislative Policy Committee as well as vice-chair for the Metro Coalition of Cities.

The League’s Executive Board is responsible for adopting policies to provide direction to the League, adopting the annual operating budget, establishing membership fees and providing direction to the organization. The Board consists of 14 board director positions and five officer positions. All positions must be filled by current city officials who represent cities of various populations and geographic locations.

Hart believes that effective communication is one of the most powerful tools cities can leverage to develop as global communities and to bridge differences that separate people. Quentin states, “Rapid globalization is literally changing the faces of our communities. In my city of 71,150, diversity is our key strength. Waterloo is addressing the issues of immigration, diversity and inclusion, assimilation, and talent attraction in proactive and intentional ways. Our challenges are the challenges that all cities, big and small, will face, if they are not already. Today, Waterloo is a model of the mid-sized American City of the future and we eager to help other communities learn from our experience.”