New Staff Join Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa serves up to 600 youth each year in Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Floyd and Fayette Counties. Due to tremendous program growth this year to meet the needs of the communities the agency serves, the youth mentoring agency is proud to announce the addition of five new staff to the team.

Jody Hartz has joined the agency as the new Vice President of Programs. Jody most recently worked for the Iowa Department of Human Services as a social work supervisor in the Black Hawk County child abuse treatment unit. Also in Black Hawk County she has served as Executive Director of Family and Children's Council and Associate Director of Operation Threshold. Jody was motivated to join Big Brothers Big Sisters by the agency's focus on area young people and the program success it has shown. She hopes to help grow agency outreach through expanded recruitment and programming, including workplace mentoring, mentoring with first responders, cultural diversity of mentors, and continued to attention to literacy support and serving children of incarcerated parents.

Casey Conry has joined the agency as the new Special Events Coordinator. Casey, originally from Waverly, currently lives in Greene and graduated from Loras College with a degree in Marketing. She enjoys working in the nonprofit sector and appreciates that the community can come together to help make a positive impact in youth facing diversity. "It's not really work if you enjoy what you do, and I really love what I get to do every day. I'm excited to be a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters and support their mission in changing children's lives for the better and to achieve success in life."

Jenna Mumm has joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa as the Bremer County Program Manager. Jenna is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor's in Youth and Human Service Administration. She has also completed her Master's in Youth and Human Service Administration at the University of Northern Iowa in May 2017. "I can't say enough how thrilled I am to be a part of this agency! Big Brothers Big Sisters is a vital youth serving nonprofit in our community, and I'm passionate about making a lasting and impactful influence in the lives of youth in Northeast Iowa".

Will Holmes has joined the team as an Enrollment Specialist for Black Hawk County. Will graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High in 2005 and went on to serve four years active duty in the United States Marine Corps. Will then pursued and obtained a Bachelor's in Criminology from Upper Iowa University in 2017. "I want to be a part of this agency because I know have seen first hand how just a few individuals can positively affect many people's lives." Will currently resides in Cedar Falls and also coordinates the agency’s new Bigs with Badges mentoring program.

Matt Johnson joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa as a Match Support Specialist, a new position funded by the Otto Schoitz Foundation. Matt lives in Waterloo and earned his BA from Judson University in Elgin, IL, and is currently obtaining an MS in Counseling from Upper Iowa University. Matt attends Prairie Lakes Church in Cedar Falls and is involved in small group and mentoring. Matt also comes from a military background, as well as numerous years of volunteering for local non-profits and at-risk youth, and as a Behavioral Health Intervention Services Provider working with children and adolescents.

For more information about how too you can make a difference in a child’s life and become a volunteer or donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa, please visit www.iowabigs.org or contact 319-235-9397.