Teri Goodmann

Community fundraiser/political activist

Teri Goodmann Age: 51. Occupation: Development Director of National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. Campaign Coordinator, America's River project. Development director, National Rivers Hall of Fame. Political leadership: Political campaign coordinator, campaign manager, county chair or steering committee member for various Democratic candidates. Most recently, member of Iowa leadership committee of John Kerry's presidential campaign. Family: Wife of John Goodmann. Mother of Emily, Ellen (an editorial employee of the East Dubuque Register and Telegraph Herald), Edward and Elise. Daughter of Charlene and James "Ed" Hawks. Sister of Tim Hawks, Katie Hawks Topf, Lori Hawks, Sue Hawks Goodmann (married to her brother-in-law), Carolyn Hawks Grabow and Lisa Hawks. Hometown: Born in San Antonio. Grew up in Ames, Des Moines, West Des Moines and Davenport. Education: Bachelor of Arts, History, Clarke College, 1976. Universite Aix Marseilles, Institute for American Universites, Aix-en-Provence, France, 1974-75. Master's degree coursework at Loras College. National associations: Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Grand Excursion 2004 regional board. State leadership: Iowa Economic Development Marketing Board. Iowa State Historical Society Board of Trustees. Iowa Environmental Council. Iowa Nature Conservancy Board of Directors. Iowa Museum Association Board. Community leadership: . Dubuque Regional Airport Commission chair. Dubuque Initiatives Board. Dubuque Arboretum Board. Judicial Nominating Review Board. Hobbies: Rivers, reading, walking, gardening, politics and travel.

TH: Are you from Dubuque originally?
TH: No. I was born in San Antonio. My dad was at Lackland Air Force Base. But my mom is from Dubuque. My dad was at Loras Academy. They met at Clarke and Loras. Actually, Visitation Academy. Dad is from southwest Iowa - Creston - from an Irish family.

TH: What were you like as a kid?
TH: Well, my brother and I played a lot. I remember just always doing something. We always had a project. It was either digging ants up in the backyard, or we had a bug collection, a butterfly collection, a rock collection. He would quiz me on my map skills. I can remember doing that at a very young age. Just a great childhood. A lot of love and lot of siblings (six) and great activity level. We were always busy doing something.

TH: So, a pretty active household.
TH: Yeah, we thought we had a small family, though, because in Davenport, most of the families had 10 children.

TH: When you were in high school and then starting at Clarke, what did you think about in terms of career? You ended up being a history graduate, but was that something you always thought you'd pursue?
TH: Actually, I was interested in international studies and foreign relations, but Clarke didn't offer that. Had interest in going on for a master's in that area when I met my husband and made the decision. Open doors and close doors. I decided to marry John Goodmann and stay in Dubuque, Iowa. That has proven to be equally exciting.

TH: How did you meet?
TH: In church.

TH: Oh, come on.
TH: I had to say that. I'm sorry. We met many years ago, at Leiser's Supper Club one night. He was out with someone when we were introduced. But it was several years later, and my sister and her fiance invited me to go out to a party. We were out at the Redstone and some of the famous haunts of Dubuque in those days. I met John and we ended up enjoying conversation and dated and met each other's families, etcetera, and shared common interests in life and married (26 years ago).

TH: How did you get started in local politics?
TH: When we married, we wanted to have children right away. That didn't happen. I wasn't getting pregnant and I was sitting at home. I thought, "I have to take a job because I'm going to be bored out of my mind." Actually, Jane Ann Knapp Melloy called. She was a couple of years ahead of me at Clarke. Jane called just coincidentally and said, "Do you want to come share a job with me?" Jane's a super person and a good friend. I said, "I'd love to do a shared-time job with you. What would it be?" She said, "Well, event planning and volunteer training, some letter-writing, some speech-writing." I said, "Sure. It sounds great. Where do you want me to meet you?" She said, "At the Tom Tauke for Congress headquarters." I thought, "Oh, that's the wrong flavor for me." She said, "Oh, no, he's really like a Democrat." I said, "Well, no. I'm just not ready for that." My grandfather here in Dubuque was a labor organizer, Elmer Vorwald, and my paternal grandfather, William Hawks, had run for the Iowa Senate from Union County. It's a very Republican county and he's a Democrat, and lost, of course, but always carried the banner for the loyal opposition. I was raised a Democrat and in high school was very active in politics, whether political campaign or issue-related activities against the war, in favor of civil rights. John said, "Why don't you call down to the Democratic headquarters? Certainly if the Republicans are hiring, the Democrats are hiring." So, that's really how I got my start in politics in Dubuque County.

TH: So, indirectly, a Republican, Tom Tauke, helped you get your first job.
TH: Well, I don't know if you want to give him that credit, but that's up to you.

TH: Were you involved in political endeavors at a young age or in high school?
TH: I was the NAACP representative from my class at St. Paul the Apostle in eighth grade, with my best friend Pat Grady, who is a judge now in Cedar Rapids, as well. He and I would go to the NAACP meetings on the Illinois side and then we'd report back to class. So, yes, I was involved. Was class president, I think, when I was in grade school, sixth grade, eighth grade then again in high school. Student council. In my group of friends and our generation, that was our sort of burning passion, was to be involved and socially active and be involved in political change.

TH: How do you contrast your experience to what you're observing among people of similar age today in terms of their political involvement and maybe their political passion?
TH: I can look at that from really two different perspectives. One, my own children. And two, the young people I work with in politics today in my spare time. My own children, I think, have grown up in an environment that is politically charged. I married into a family that also has a tremendous political heritage. Dominic Goodmann was treasurer of the party when T.J. Mulgrew was chair in the early 1960s. When I married into John's family, I realized clearly there was as much interest and discussion around the dinner table as there was in our own household growing up. That was sort of a shared passion. So our children grew up in that environment. I think our children are very knowledgeable. Children other than my own children, that I work with shoulder to shoulder, remind me of myself. For whatever reason, they too are motivated to be involved and interested in change. Issue groups have I think garnered more support now than the parties did when I was growing up. Maybe not. I don't know. That's an interesting question, Brian, because I think civil rights and the war were catalysts for change for us. I think the environment is now, I think the war is becoming that for them.

TH: You, yourself, have never been on a ballot, is that right?
TH: That's true.

TH: Is that something you are comfortable with? Is that a permanent arrangement?
TH: No, it's not permanent. That's something that I think if the time is right that I would certainly consider running for office.

TH: You were quite involved in John Kerry's presidential campaign, locally and regionally. Statewide leader.
TH: Statewide, mm, hmm.

TH: Any analysis of what happened, in terms of the Kerry campaign?
TH: I think both parties worked extremely hard to get the vote out. I think we were both successful. I think the other side was a little more successful than we were. That is the American way. Looking back, my influence did not really extend beyond the state of Iowa. I think I, along with many others, were frustrated through the summer months. I think that there was a time when the message could have been created or really crafted to be more effective. To communicate the values of the Democratic party. To be effective. To communicate the values of the Democratic party and I think the values that John Kerry embodied and wanted to take to the White House with him. I think we failed, probably, in message crafting and delivery. That's the way it goes. Disappointed? Of course! Terribly disappointed, because I think we're at a critical juncture in American history. So I'm disappointed, but also aware of the fact that you can't miss a beat; you've got to pick yourself up and just go forward. There's another election just around the corner and, of course, there will be people in Iowa shortly for that. It just starts all over again.

TH: Did you talk with Sen. Kerry after the election?
TH: Yeah, actually we spoke three times last week. I'll be calling him this week, as well. He came back to Iowa to thank people. It has to be a tremendous blow to lose the presidential election. I don't care what party you're in. These are all fine people, incredible families and time and energy that's expended in running for this office. It's just huge. I think he's trying to find opportunities for leadership. We're just talking about some opportunities that he might be able to take advantage of.

TH: Are you involved in any of these opportunities?
TH: You never know.

TH: How has your political campaign experience translated to your current job as the primary fund-raiser, working with Jerry Enzler, for the museum and what's going on down here on the riverfront?
TH: Life unfolds. I was in McDonald's one day in early 1995, after I don't know whose political campaign. I was in McDonald's with my children and three of my nieces and nephews. And who walks in with five children traipsing behind him but Jerry Enzler. Jerry and Katie were dating when I started at Clarke as a freshman. I met them my first week in school and knew them. Jerry said, "We're looking for a marketing director and we'd like to know if you'd submit an application." I said, "Jeez, Jerry, I'm not a marketing person, I'm a history major... I don't know anything about marketing." He said, "Well, don't you run political campaigns?" I said, "Yeah." He said, "Please submit a resume," and I did and they hired me to come on board. (Editor's note: An extended description on the genesis of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium project appear on the Web site.)

TH: So all told - and I don't know how you calculate this, but all told - how much money have you helped raise for the museum and riverfront development?
TH: Raised or leveraged. We say $188 million. That number is our Vision Iowa number, but that includes the private sector contributions, not only charitable philanthropic contributions; but it also includes the Platinum Hospitality $25 million to $40 million that they bring to the table, because we couldn't have received Vision Iowa money without a match, and they provided a portion of that match. There were city monies that went into infrastructure improvements down here, utilities and road improvements. Then there were private funds raised. There were state funds raised. There were federal funds raised.

TH: Does your partisan background pose a barrier when you'd call on (Republicans) Grassley or Branstad or Nussle?
TH: Oh, no, certainly not for me. Here's my perspective. I feel so strongly about the greatness of this country and it's a two-party system and both parties have a role to play. But what I'm doing on my side is the same thing many of my friends are doing on the other. I have great respect of the Republican operatives, as I'm sure they do for me and others on the Democratic side. So I never felt anything but respect from Sen. Grassley's staff and Congressman Nussle's staff or Congressman Leach. I'm certain if I were a Republican that I would be treated equally well by the Democrats - Congressman Boswell and Sen. Harkin's staff. I think there's a respect amongst those of us who this work and feel very strongly about freedom and about democracy.

TH: One of the things you believed in pretty strongly was the campaign a year ago for the ballpark, which tied in with the riverfront. A year after the ballpark referendum, what's your post-mortem on that?
TH: Well, No. 1, too little time to get our message out, I think. I think time hampered our efforts. Not only did we have a short window of time - about seven weeks to get a message out to convince people that this was the next best step in the Fourth Street Peninsula and a great opportunity for Dubuque. But I also think American tradition runs counter to that short time frame as well, because we're not a parliamentary system. We run the longest darn campaigns of anybody on the planet. But we're used to that, too. It gives people time to really cogitate about the proposal, in this case for a stadium. It gives them time to read both pros and cons and weigh them back and forth and argue with their neighbors and talk at the Busy Bee and go the League of Women Voters forums. And over and over. Run the gauntlet of all those letters to the editor, back and forth. But it really is a time thing. There's a percolation period there that I think we missed out on. And part of it was that Michael Gartner did not want to run that public campaign through the summer and spring because he had a team that would have been financially jeopardized in another community. So he asked that that be held off until the fall. So it was a long shot and one we lost. Unfortunately, we did lose that. And it was unfortunate that Mr. Gartner was personally attacked in the process. Something that, in my opinion, is an irrelevant issue.

TH: So the museum is built. How much money still needs to be raised for this place?
TH: This is paid off.

TH: So, are you out of a job?
TH: Oh, no. I think we have between $6 million and $7 million in endowment, but our goal over the next five years will be $20 million, so we're quietly doing leg work for that. As well as looking at future expansion. I think you may know that the Adams Co. building is sitting over there and we're exploring some opportunities for future growth, a long range plan, a 20-year strategic plan. We feel that's responsible as staff here and as Dubuque County Historical Society. That's what we're doing. It's very exciting. So, no, I'm certain we'll be raising more money in the future. Non-profits consistently do that, but again, we're a national aquarium, so our work is not finished. We have a very active membership program. We've grown from 450 members to nearly 4,000 members. We're gaining membership in Chicago, in the suburbs, which is tremendous. We're looking at expanding both our physical plant and site, but also our research and conservation capabilities. So very exciting things in the future.

TH: But the place is paid for.
TH: This is paid for. Everything down here is paid for, right.

TH: What's the hardest part about your job?
TH: Filing. I don't file. I hid everything in the office before you came in. I was like, "Oh, my goodness, what am I going to do?" Seriously, I don't know. Not having enough time in a day.

TH: What's a good day at work for you? What, $5 million? $10 million?
TH: Oh, no, no, no.

TH: Describe what makes this job pleasurable for you.
TH: I enjoy being one of the point people for this community. When I was young girl, I used to come to Dubuque. I love the smell of it here. I don't know if it was the packing house or the lead in the hills or the old bakeries. Who knows? But I fell in love with Dubuque when I was very, very young and my Great-Grandma Theisen was down at Our Lady of Lourdes at the end of 17th or wherever. I just love this town. I love being a person who can be a part of its future. I love working with the people here at the museum and with city and elected officials at the state and national level. I think that the opportunities to build the place where our children can live and have jobs and great neighborhoods in this town. Super neighborhoods in this town and great schools and I just think it's neat being part of community building, and that's what this job really is.

TH: What advice would you give to your successor in this particular job, whenever that successor might take over?
TH: Well, I guess to really love it and embrace it, I think. It's a great gift. It's an opportunity to work here. It's really tremendous to be part of something that's nationally and global in scope. It's wonderful that Dubuque, Iowa, is receiving some of the attention it's receiving because it's not just been a one- or two-person program down here. This has involved our colleges and our schoolchildren and our newspaper and our local businesses and the river community. It's just been really great.

TH: Do you still walk in the middle of the night? TG: When you're running?

TH: When I rarely run. You don't see me too often, do you? TG: Actually, I need to get out and walk a little more. Yes, I do. I still walk with Kathy Flynn Thurlow in the morning.

TH: What else do you do in your spare time, if you have any?
TH: I've asked my husband for two years in a row for a gun for our anniversary because I have a hosta garden I'm trying to grow and the darn deer are just decimating it. So if I stand on my stoop with a little air gun, I think I could just - behavior modification - scare them off enough. So now one of his clients is going to use our backyard as a test plot for some new deer repellent that he has. I've used coyote urine most of the summer to try to get them away, keep them away. That worked relatively well. I've tried nets. I've tried Irish Spring soap. I've tried moth balls. I've tried everything. I love to garden. TH: Coyotes...
TH: You know what, that's what I was wondering about the third week I was applying this. I thought where in the world are they collecting this stuff? It's in a big gallon jug. I love to garden. I like to get my hands in the dirt. I'm an outdoor person. Ellen loves the Mines of Spain. I like to go down there and walk and really enjoy the out of doors. I love to walk. And I love my family. My whole family. John's family, my family, our immediate family, I love my kids.

TH: You just love everybody.
TH: I do. I feel lucky to be alive, I really do. Honestly I do. I like to sing when I do dishes. I like to read books. I have four columns of books next to my bed because John has not built me bookshelves yet for the bedroom. I like to read.

TH: I think I'm about out of questions.
TH: OK. I have a pretty boring life. 11