Our society has been filled with unsympathetic political climates, divisive COVID 19 response debate, and circumstances in our lives that can bring us down and take many frustrations out on our leaders in government. Elected officials have signed up for answering to the public, taking their input and making the best decisions possible to protect the citizens, their pocketbooks and improve our neighborhoods, no matter what challenging circumstances that come our way. Our leaders in Marshall County are not the exception as they answer their call daily with honor and kindness.

Marshall County is the 15th largest county among 99 across Iowa. Our operations in the courthouse, sheriff’s office and all departments have the same responsibilities and follow the same guidelines in the Iowa Code as every other county. But something special is in the air here in Marshall County. In just six short years we’ve seen four former Marshall County elected officials be promoted to highly esteemed positions of public service across the state.

In 2015, former Marshall County Auditor and Recorder Dawn Williams was selected as the Elections Director for the State of Iowa under Secretary of State Paul Pate. She served Marshall County 26 years starting as the Election Director in 1988 and later appointed the Marshall County Auditor and Recorder. Dawn was inducted into The Election Center Hall of Fame in 2018 and retired from the Secretary of State’s Office in 2019.

In 2018, former Marshall County Sheriff Ted Kamatchus was selected by President Donald J. Trump to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Iowa. He was appointed Marshall County Sheriff in 1987 and served in that role until January 2017. He served on many leadership sheriff positions from the local to national levels. Kamatchus continues to serve as U.S. Marshal to this day.

In February, Marshall County Sheriff Steve Hoffman was selected Chief Deputy Sheriff in Iowa’s largest county, Polk. He was selected over 97 other county sheriffs in Iowa and the nearly 600 members of the Polk County Sheriff organization. Hoffman began his law enforcement career as a Marshall County Peace Officer in 1991 and came aboard the sheriff’s office in 1994 and was elected Marshall County Sheriff in 2016.

In March, Marshall County Attorney Jennifer Miller was selected district judge by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Jennifer served as the county’s attorney for 19 years. As county attorney, Jennifer served on Reynold’s FOCUS Committee on Criminal Justice, expanded the county debt collection program and extended compassion with her focus on the county’s victim-witness program.

Each of these former Marshall County elected officials dedicated decades of public service for the citizens of Marshall County. Additionally they all served on various local volunteer boards and community events. They each answered the call to serve in their profession as well as in their hearts as they’ve cared so deeply for Marshall County. We are incredibly blessed in Marshall County to have the talent and expertise of these four leaders among us. I am encouraged and excited to watch the development of our future leaders here serving in Marshall County today. I would like to sincerely thank Dawn, Ted, Steve and Jennifer for your service to Marshall County and utilizing that experience and service to serve others at the next level.

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Jarret P. Heil is the Marshall County Treasurer