Editor’s note: Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group nominated five groups or individuals for awards for 2022. The awards ceremony for these individuals is Tuesday, Aug. 16, at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church beginning at 5 p.m.
Mount Vernon residents Rich and Deb Herrmann were named the Citizens of the Year for the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group this year.
“When Joe first told me about the recognition, I teared up because I am so proud to be part of the awesomeness of Mount Vernon,” said Deb. “I really think, our community is wonderful due to the people who step up, contribute in whatever way they can and insert their voice to ensure we keep moving.”
“It’s been a pleasure volunteering and meeting so many fantastic people in Mount Vernon and Lisbon,” Rich said. “I feel so lucky to have found my ‘calling’ over the last decade or so volunteering and enjoying all that Mount Vernon has to offer.”
Some of the projects that Debra has been proud of in her service to the community include the planning, fundraising and construction of the Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center, the application for Mount Vernon Lisbon CDG for the Great American Main Street Award (Mount Vernon was one of the top eight in the nation in 2022) and the selection of the new administration team at the school district.
For Rich, one of the first projects in the community was on the comprehensive plan for the Marketing and Tourism board in the community in the mid-2000s.
“I became very intrigued by the challenges facing our community and really loved the people involved” Rich said. “Eventually, with the help of many talented folks with a common vision, we were able to apply for and receive the Iowa Main Street designation, and simultaneously formed the Community Development group as the umbrella organization for all main street initiatives.
“That was a very fulfilling time in that we had a clear vision of where both Lisbon and Mount Vernon should be headed to attract and retain businesses, visitors and potential residents and jobs to the area. It was a lot of work, sometimes spanning evenings, weekends, lunch meetings and generally absorbing and learning what resources were now available to us. I was the first president of the CDG and it was an exciting time.”
Rich originally grew up in Wyoming and Montana before moving to the state after college. After moving to Iowa, he met Deb, who was from Reinbeck, and the duo have lived in Iowa ever since.
While Rich and Deb are not originally from the Mount Vernon community, they have lived in the Mount Vernon city limits since 2005. Their involvement in the community started with their children attending school in the district back in 1996.
“The selection of Mount Vernon started when our oldest was ready to start Kindergarten,” Deb said. “At the time we were living in Cedar Rapids and knew that we were interested in a more compact district that provided opportunities for students in academics, athletics and the arts. We found a property in Bertram and open enrolled Sam in 1996. Sean joined in 2001 and Connor in 2003. They are all proud Mustang graduates.”
Deb has been involved as a middle school parent teacher leader, part of the Washington Elementary Playground fundraising and design committee, served on the Mount Vernon school board, a member of MVLCDGs leadership team as treasurer, bookkeeper and president, and member of the Mount Vernon City Council and serves on the Mount Vernon Housing commission and the Mount Vernon city community center project.
“For me there is a sense of pride in being a part of the projects and debates that are the fabric of a tight proud community,” Deb said. “I am honored to have been a volunteer, an elected official and a cheerleader for others as they do the same.”
Rich has helped with coaching AYSO soccer and football and “absolutely loved” capturing photos of all the teams and sports events when his children were involved. “One of the best things about that was being able to capture quality photos of many athletes and the joy that would bring their parents,” Rich said.
He was also a member of the steering committee for the Highway 30 Bypass plan and enjoyed the process of listening to our main street constituents and blending the main street philosophies as input to the plan.
Rich also has served as president of CDG for the past two years.
“During COVID, CDG was able to contribute to the larger pool of grant money from the City of Mount Vernon, and it felt good to help our local businesses during that horrible time,” Rich said. “Outdoor seating was a project that I loved working on because it had a direct impact on keeping businesses open and gave us hope that we could still have a little normalcy in the chaos. Incremental changes over the years have been the foundation of CDG and I’ve been blessed to work with so many wonderful people. One of those people is Joe Jennison, who we’ve become good friends with. He is a tireless proponent of our area and does so much to advance our mission everyday.”
Deb works at Aegon Asset Management in Cedar Rapids as a project manager.
When she’s not working or serving on the various groups and organizations she is a part of, she enjoys spending time with her family in Iowa, Washington and Colorado.
Rich currently spends most of his free-time with his part-time nature photography business. He and Deb are also spending more time transitioning their time to Colorado, where two of their sons live, and Rich is looking forward to opportunities to explore that great state more over time.