Mother’s Day is just around the corner. So we caught up with three local “mompreneurs” and asked them to share their ideas on balancing motherhood and business savvy. You’ll see these moms are making it work.

Rachel Tabron, 33, Cedar Rapids

Photographer and Owner @ Ambroja Photography

Rachel Tabron, owner and photographer of Ambroja Photography juggles the responsibilities of owning her own business as well as being a mother to three children under the age of four. She is pictured here with Isaiah, 8 months old. (Julie Koehn/The Gazette)

Less than a week after having her third child Rachel Tabron was photographing a wedding. With a “just do it” attitude she manages her photography business (including an average of 30 weddings year) and volunteer work taking photos of adoptable pets at the Cedar Valley Humane Society, while raising three kids, ages 8 months, 2- and 4-years-old, and two stepchildren, ages 15 and 17. Oh, and five pets.

Why did you start your own business?

I was always an entrepreneur at heart. My husband and I both worked for other companies and eventually we decided it was the right move for us to create the business. It was a long process and definitely an ongoing learning experience, but years later we are happy with the decision.

Does owning your own business make it easier to be a working mom?

In some ways it does. I can control my workload and decide which days and hours I want to do certain tasks. A misconception about owning your own business though is that you can take days off whenever you want. The work still has to get done and I’ve never worked so hard in my life.

What is your best advice for balancing a working mom schedule?

Family first, business second. Setting a schedule is a must and you have to be able to separate being a mom and running a business. Trying to turn your business brain off while with family is just as challenging as turning off baby talk while in consultations.

What do your kids think of your job?

They enjoy looking at photos of princesses (the brides) and making forts out my backdrops in the studio.

Mary Locher, 39, Cedar Rapids

Owner @ Weetail Seasonal Children’s Consignment Sale

Mary Locher (right), owner of Weetail, goes through movies and games with her children Catie Locher, 12, (left) and Max Locher, 9, at Hawkeye Downs in southwest Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, April 28, 2010. (Julie Koehn/The Gazette)

Mary Locher has had a busy couple of weeks. Her 9-year-old took his first communion. As a board member for Playtime Poppy, she volunteered during a weekend’s worth of performances. She spent quality time with her 12 year old daughter and the family’s dog. Plus she organized, promoted and held her semiannual seasonal children’s consignment sale — featuring everything from kid’s clothes and baby gear, to toys and strollers. And she’ll do it all again (minus the first communion part) this fall.

Why did you start your own business?

I had been laid off from my part time job and was looking to replace my income. A friend was selling her business so I bought it.

How does the sale work?

If your child uses it we sell it. I rent Hawkeye Downs out twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Consignors set the price on their items and get 65 percent of their asking price. Shoppers enjoy one stop shopping so they don’t have to run from garage sale to garage sale looking for different sizes and items. I see my business as a big recycling project. It keeps toys and things out of the landfills because you can buy an item at the sale, use it and then sell it at a future sale.

Does owning your own business make it easier to be a working mom?

Well for me it does. I do a lot of the paperwork and leg work while my kids are at school. When the sale is open my kids can come out and help me.

What do you love most about your job?

Flexibility. And with the economy being the way it is, it’s great to help people get a bargain or make a little cash for stuff around their house. Plus, I enjoy getting to meet new people. I have lived here my whole life and every sale I get to meet people from all walks of life that I would never have met.

What do you love most about being a mom?

Laughing. My kids make me laugh every day!

Jennifer Robb, 31, Iowa City

Professional Organizer and Owner @ Simple Organizing Strategies and Vice President @ Robb Concrete Construction

Jennifer Robb, owner and professional organizer for Simple Organizing Strategies, poses with her children Jayden Robb (left), 8, and Sydney Robb, 6, in front of one of the shelves she organized for a client at his home off Jessica Lane in Coralville on Thursday, April 29, 2010. (Julie Koehn/The Gazette)

Jennifer Robb doesn’t have a typical day, but that doesn’t mean she lacks structure and organization in her life. In fact, she keeps a consistent routine for her two daughters, eight and six, and the family pets, runs her own professional organizing business, and handles the business side — invoices, project bids and payroll — for her husband’s concrete finishing company.

Why did you start your own business?

When my second daughter was born, it became increasingly difficult for me to find a healthy balance between work and family. After considering several factors, such as my stress level, our budget, the cost of child care … we decided that I would leave my job as an optician and become a stay-at-home mom. After about 8 months at home, my former boss called me with the exciting news that she had come across professional organizing. We decided that organizing would be the perfect job for me as I had always been extremely organized and tidy. I could start my business out as my time allowed and grow the business as my babies grew.

Does owning your own business make it easier to be a working mom?

Much easier because I am in charge of my time and how I choose to spend it. On the other hand, because I oversee two businesses, the buck starts and stops with me. I am responsible for more than just my own family. I have the responsibility making sure we can fulfill our obligation to our customers, our contractors, our vendors, and especially our employees and their families.

What is your best advice for balance a working mom schedule?

Two things: Make yourself your number one priority, always! I know that the most important thing I can do for everyone that matters to me is take good physical and mental care of myself and stay healthy. And two, if at all possible, do something you love for a living. Figure out what you love and what you are good at and pursue it.

What do your daughters think of your job?

They are proud of me. But they think I spend too much time on the computer working.

What do you love most about your job and being a mom?

Having children changed every single thought I ever had about my life. It was no longer about me and my husband but how we were going to give these two little human beings the tools they need to be outstanding people who will grow up to do and be whatever their hearts desire … I finally found my place in the universe. I found something I am good at and passionate about.

Molly Altorfer, 30, Cedar Rapids
Assistant Vice President for Communications & Marketing @ Mount Mercy College
If it’s happening at “the Mount,” rest assured Molly Altorfer knows about it.

As the newly promoted Assistant Vice President for Communications & Marketing at Mount Mercy College, Altorfer’s job is to make sure that students, faculty and staff, alumni and the community as a whole — that’s you — know about all things MMC.

She has oversight on internal and external communications, messaging and branding, the Web site, social media efforts, a campus magazine produced three times year and all advertising.
“It’s never the same day twice. That keeps you on your toes,” Altorfer says.

Plus, her new role allows her to work with the school’s development department to
create strategies for campaigns and other fundraising initiatives.

“I’m excited because it’s going to be a challenge,” Altorfer says. “And it’s so integral right now to where we are going.”

She means “we” as in “Mount Mercy” and Altorfer’s job indeed promises to become more essential and more challenging as the school makes the transition to Mount Mercy University in the next few years.

“There is kind of a feeling, a buzz on campus,” she says. “There’s an excitement that’s palpable and that makes it exciting to go to work every day.”

Altorfer — who is originally from Cedar Rapids and actually served as the newspaper editor at Washington High School — moved back a few years ago from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area after college and a few years working as communications director for a Jewish non-profit organization. She and her husband Derek, along with their black lab/German Sheppard mix, Ike, wanted to be closer to family and make a difference in the community where they grew up.

“I knew I wanted to stay in the non-profit world,” Altorfer recalls of her job search. “I wanted to work for an organization that was doing good. And Mount Mercy does that for students. It prepares them for not only a career but also
to be successful, giving people as they continue their lives.”

Mount Mercy, and it’s “commitment to service” seemed like the perfect fit. She started working for the college in July of 2006 as the Assistant Director of College Relations. Less than a year later she was named the Director of Communications and Marketing. And just last week, on Jan. 4, her new title and role became official.

Of course, Altorfer humbly acknowledges that what she does for a living combined with her age is pretty impressive. And it’s not so ironic that an organization dedicated to producing successful young professionals depends on one to send
just the right messages about Mount Mercy
to the world.

“There is opportunity for young professionals here if you grab it,” Altorfer says. “The generations ahead of us want us to succeed. And that wasn’t really available in Minneapolis. There they would put you in a box and say ‘No, you’re under 30’
or ‘You’re under 40 so you can’t do that.’ Here, if you can think it up or sell the idea people will
take you up on it. It doesn’t matter if you’re 25,
35 or 55.”
— KATIE

Melanie Ewalt, 32, Cedar Rapids
Assistant professor/chef @ Kirkwood
Community College Culinary Arts Program

The smells of Cuban food — sofrito, in particular — lured culinary arts professor Melanie Ewalt into her grandmother’s kitchen when she was a girl growing up in Miami. She’d slip past busy family gatherings to join her grandmother at the stove, where green peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato simmered with pork
and seafood.

“Cuban food is more about flavor than spice,” Melanie says. “You could smell it
as soon as you walked into the house.”

Melanie developed a love for Cuban cuisine and everything Latin during those early years surrounded by an extended Cuban family in Miami, where she learned Spanish alongside English. When she was 8 she moved to Iowa City but returned to Miami every summer to stay with her grandmother, where “everything centered around food,” she says.

In 2000, Melanie graduated from the Kirkwood culinary arts program. She worked as an assistant kitchen manager
in charge of catering for Hy-Vee planning events at Hancher Auditorium and for the University of Iowa Athletics program.

Then six years ago Melanie began subbing for a former Kirkwood instructor, Amy Wyss, now co-owner of Zins, and began her transition to full-time chef instructor.

Kirkwood’s culinary arts degree is a two-year program. First-semester students learn the basics, such as how to handle and sharpen a knife, perform various cuts and work with different foods. Theory, taught in classrooms, explores topics in depth. Second-semester students train in international cuisine with David Horsfield, a chef from Australia.

Melanie focuses on third- and fourth-semester students. The third-semester cooking lab is the college restaurant,
Class Act, where students prepare meals for the general public.

Twice each semester Melanie organizes large events that bring together the entire culinary arts program — students and instructors — to plan and prepare five-course themed meals. The most recent event focused on locally grown and harvested foods.

“I actually went out and picked all of the eggplant at a local farm,” Melanie says. Students found pears in Marion and spinach in Mount Vernon.

“It’s a lot of fun to be able to see students grow and see the different things everybody can bring to the table,” she says.

She’d rather see students be creative and fail than say no to trying new ideas.

This type of training is preparation for the fourth-semester capstone class, where students cater an event from start to finish from working with customers to planning the meal.

At work and at home, food plays a pivotal role in Melanie’s life.

Her season tickets to Iowa football games morph into food-charged events as she prepares dishes for pre-game. And family gatherings — something Melanie and her boyfriend, Isaac Fisher, make a priority — always center around food.

“Latin cuisine is my specialty,” Melanie says. “But, I’m also a big fan of Mediterranean food.”
— MICHELLE SILLMAN

Joe Hotek, 21, Iowa City
BierGuy @ John’s Grocery

When Joe Hotek, a University of Iowa cinema major, isn’t studying for an exam or adding the finishing touches to a class film project, it’s likely he’s studying beer.

You’re probably thinking a lot of college students “study beer” in their spare time, but Joe Hotek is different.

He doesn’t just like beer. He considers himself an advocate for the brew.

During his sophomore year of college he began working at John’s Grocery, the iconic family-run corner market in Iowa City that offers an impressive stock of imported and microbrewed beer and is known as Dirty John’s to locals.

“Working at John’s really opened my eyes to the sophisticated nature of beer,” says Hotek, one of the grocery’s infamous Bier Guys. “It’s an art form. It’s complex and extremely enjoyable.”

“At one time, I was like 98 percent of beer consumers. I drank an American light lager style beer, but I look at it differently now,” he says. “I’m not a beer snob, but I’ve found beer is just as sophisticated as wine. There’s a vibrant world of flavors out there, making it really enjoyable to drink.”

He can’t imagine developing his knowledge of beer in any other place than Iowa City.

“It’s beer Mecca,” he says.

Hotek’s interest in beer may have started at John’s, but it hasn’t stopped there. It wasn’t long before he found himself reading beer magazines and researching beers online.

“It helped that I had friends in beer trading circles,” he says. “I attended beer samplings with people who really knew a lot about beer. They helped me to develop my palate. It is particularly helpful if you enter into it with an open mind and enthusiasm.”

Interest in craft beers has expanded in the Iowa City area, partly he thinks because bars have begun to offer microbrewed beers like New Belgium, brewed in Colorado.

He likes to attend beer tasting events and share what he’s learned with customers at John’s.

“Everyone is welcome,” he says. “Anyone who is curious, or just wants to know more, will learn a lot and will probably be surprised by all the options out there.”

— MISTI

Robby Marvin, 25, Cedar Rapids

Founder @ The Robject

Give more.

That is the simple message Robby Marvin is trying to spread.

His megaphone of choice is The Robject, an endeavor Robby embarked on in June. It’s a 12 month project to inspire the people of Cedar Rapids to give more of their time, treasure or talent.

For one year, Robby has pledged 365 volunteer hours and 31.2 percent (the 31.2 percent represents the height at which the floodwaters crested in June 2008) of his annual income to 12 non-profit organizations. He’s blogging about his experience at www.robject.com

“My hope is that those numbers will resonate with people,” Robby says. “The whole point of the project was to make it a challenge.”

His message: “If I can do it, you can do it.”

Though the idea of volunteering is not a new one for Robby – he has worked with the Cedar Rapids Downtown District, St. Luke’s Hospice and other organizations in Cedar Rapids in the past – The Robject was inspired by an October 2008 Access Iowa Exchange (now ImpactCR) meeting.

Presenter Bob Untiedt, Executive Director of the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center, asked the group, “What more can you do?”

Everyone has something to offer, says Robby.

“Though your contribution may seem small,” he says, “When they’re all combined they’re huge and can really make a difference.”

While the bare bones of The Robject is his, Robby says that his friends and family have been instrumental in developing the project into what it is today. Their support is what continues to make the project a reality, he says.

To meet his personal challenge Robby has adjusted to a different lifestyle to fit his new budget.

“I’ve had to be really conscientious, really trying to limit it to the essentials,” Robby says.

He’s window shopping more, going out less and even changing his diet to be more budget-friendly.

Through the Robject, Robby highlights one of 12 selected organizations each month. In addition to his volunteer hours, he is making a donation of up to $1,000 each month, matching whatever the organization is able to raise above and beyond their normal donations. At the end of The Robject, the total amount left to reach his 31.2 percent goal will be divided equally among the
12 organizations.

In June, Robby worked with the Cedar Rapids Downtown District, helping with Floodstock, Run the Flood and the Drive-In Movie series.

Last month, Robby helped out with Horizon’s Meals on Wheels program, which delivers about 450 meals each weekday and 250 meals per day on the weekends.

“I wrote a (blog) post called Humbled by Horizons, and I really was,” says Robby. “You might be the only human interaction that person has all day.”

This month he is working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cedar Rapids, an organizations dedicated to inspiring and enabling young people to reach their full potential.

The best part about volunteering?

“You feel good about yourself because you’ve helped others,” Robby says. “When you give it’s amazing how much you get back.”

– ERIN

DID YOU KNOW?
Robby is an instructor at Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping and would love to compete in a triathlon, except he can’t swim.
WHAT HE CAN DO FOR YOU:
Looking for a way to give more? Robby is your go-to source for volunteering in Cedar Rapids. His advice for getting started: be specific about what you want to do and take that leap of faith to get involved.

Want to do more like Robby? We did some homework to get you started.

Elaine, 26, and Erica Yoder, 22, Rural Kalona
Owners @ The Empire House

At first glance, Elaine and Erica Yoder appear to be your typical 20-something sisters. They certainly look alike. They have similar mannerisms and finish each other’s sentences. And they enjoy each other’s company.
But these aren’t your average sisters. They also happen to be business partners. They just launched a new event planning businesses, The Empire House, based in Kalona.
You may recognize them from Sisters Garden, a store, actually two stores in one location (old houses in rural Kalona), where both have worked for years. The store, owned by a family friend, has an ever-changing inventory of modern mixed with antique. Farm furniture, architectural trimmings, garden and apothecary goods are displayed in charming vignettes. It’s upscale, retro, quirky.
Now, the sisters’ newest venture, The Empire House, aims to bring the same feel to event planning. Think Anthropologie-esque. A twist on traditional style.
The sisters ooze a unique creativity. Their spunky personalities and knack for incorporating vintage chic style is refreshing. While their personalities are definitely distinct (Erica’s a bit more funky while Elaine’s a touch more traditional) they are natural compliments.
“We kind of have a comfort level and we can bounce ideas off each other,” Erica says.
“And encourage each other,” Elaine chimes in. “We really do pretty much everything together. Plus, it’s nice to have four hands to do everything. One’s holding the bouquet and one’s wrapping the ribbon.”
The Ladies of the Empire House, as they like to say, have a self proclaimed “sweet tooth for imaginative beauty.”
“We do a lot of funk and like to risk things that have been done and see how far we can push the limits,” says Erica.
But the most important element are their clients’ wants and dreams.
“Our main goal is to not put across our idea but to really focus on the bride and groom,” explains Erica. “And give each one their dream wedding,” adds Elaine.
All while living their own dreams.
“We always toyed around with the idea of having a business of our own,” says Elaine. “We are just diving in and taking a leap of faith.”
“That’s how we have to live,” Erica adds.
“Part of my young adult life has been just ready to have an adventure with my sister,” says Elaine, “and this is definitely an adventure.”
For better or for worse.
— KATIE
Check out their Website www.theempirehouse.com to see some of what they dream up.

Young blood: Get to know the Corridor’s emerging leaders

Nate Willems, 30, Lisbon
Iowa State Representative, D-Lisbon
There’s a smile on Nate Willems’ face each time he arrives for work at the State Capitol despite the two hour drive between Des Moines and his home in Lisbon, where he lives with his wife and daughter. He says walking up the steps to work under the golden dome helps him keep the proper perspective.
During the legislative session, you’ll find him in Des Moines or practicing law in Cedar Rapids at Sole, McManus, Pearson & Willems, P.C.
At 30, Nate already has a deep interest in politics.
“I decided many years ago that I want my life and work to have meaning, and I find that meaning in public service,” he says. “Politics is public service.”
Nate, a lifelong Iowan, thinks other young adults should participate in politics too.
“People can choose to observe politics or get into it to make some positive impact,” he says. “Since we all have a large stake in the decisions made; I think it makes sense to try to affect the outcomes.”
Did you know?
Nate’s perfect Iowa summer day consists of time with his family and breakfast at Gwen’s in Lisbon or dinner at the Lincoln Café in Mount Vernon.

Brent Oleson, 38, Marion
Linn County Supervisor, District 4
Brent Oleson grew up in a politically engaged family in Burlington. From an early age his family influenced his interest in politics, but not necessarily his point of view. Raised by his lifelong Democrat mother, Oleson became an active Republican as a teenager.
“I think other young people should be involved in politics because they tend to favor policies of progress and change, whereas older citizens tend to favor status quo policies,” he says. “If you’re not involved as a young person, then all you get is unimaginative status quo responses to our community’s challenges.”
Did you know?
Every July Brent spends five days on the confluence of the Jack’s Fork River and the Current River in Missouri with high school buddies. He’s been taking this yearly guys-only trip for 20 years.

Ben Rogers, 29, Cedar Rapids
Linn County Supervisor, District 3
This summer you might see this young politician on the run.
When Ben Rogers isn’t at work serving the Linn County Board of Supervisors, he’s training for the Chicago Marathon. This will be his third marathon in the windy city. He hopes to beat his personal best of 3 hours, 30 minutes.
Ben encourages other young adults to get involved simply by showing up.
“I live by this philosophy: decisions are made by those who show up,” he says. “There are many ways emerging leaders can help affect change: running for office, joining a board, applying for a commission and volunteering.”
He’s witnessed great things in Cedar Rapids since the Floods of 2008, he says.
“The flood showed me what a truly interconnected community we are, strangers helping strangers and neighbors helping neighbors,” Rogers says. “That is something we should all be proud of.”
Did you know?
By age 12, Ben Rogers could surf, sail and was a certified scuba diver. He lived in New Zealand as a child on the beach at Thorne’s Bay.

Tyler Olson, 32, Cedar Rapids
Iowa State Representative, D-Cedar Rapids
You could say Tyler Olson has roots in Iowa. Make those deep roots.
He’s a sixth generation Iowan and a fourth generation Cedar Rapidian. Tyler was motivated to pursue a political office because he wanted to ensure future Iowans had the same opportunities he had growing up in the state.
Tyler would like to see other young adults get active in politics because, “We need fresh ideas and input from young adults about where they want the state to be in 10 or 20 years,” he says.
He works at his family’s business, Paulson Electric, and his favorite summer day in Iowa would be spent golfing in the early morning, followed by coffee and the news. His afternoon would be filled with his wife Sarah, son Leo, and their retired racing greyhound, Bus.
Did you know?
Tyler Olson’s perfect Fourth of July menu is grilled cheeseburgers, fresh sliced tomatoes, wild rice salad and ice cream.

Brian Fagan, 37, Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids City Council, At-Large
Brian Fagan has been big into community service since grade school. But after a political internship during college, he was hooked.
“I learned a lot from those experiences,” he says. “I saw personally how public policy and political process directly impacts individuals.”
Young adults should get involved now to affect how their community looks in the future, Fagan says.
“Taking part in government will help eliminate some of the engagement gap and give young adults a significant role in planning the city,” he says. “This is the time where the agenda for this community is being set for the next 100 years and it’s important to be engaged.”
Did you know?
Brian Fagan will spend the Fourth of July running the Fifth Season 8k; afterward he’ll lounge around with family, friends and food.

Nick Wagner, 35, Marion
Iowa State Representative, R-Marion
Nick Wagner got involved in politics after attending a Marion City Council meeting. He went to the meeting because he was interested how decisions being made would affect his family. He came home that night and told his wife, Mandie, he’d like to get involved. Nine months later he was elected to the council.
Nick would like to see others become interested in politics too.
“People of any age can serve,” he says. “It’s possible to serve on a city board or committee that doesn’t meet weekly so it won’t require as much time. You still have influence and help make important decisions for your community.”
This summer you might see Nick outdoors more than indoors. He enjoys fly-fishing, camping, backpacking, biking, running and swimming. One way to combine at least a few of those interests? He competes in triathlons.
Did you know?
When Nick and his family were invited by their new Marion neighbors to see their first fireworks display in Cedar Rapids, they knew they were living a very friendly place.
— MISTI

Jessica Fergesen, 29

Cedar Rapids Director of Marketing and Community Relations @ Cedar Rapids Kernels

Jessica Fergesen has been a baseball fan all of her life. For six seasons, she has been a significant part of the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
Fergesen does a little bit of everything, including scheduling, writing, and purchasing radio, TV, newspaper and all other advertising in and out of season. She works special events like the hot stove banquet, college tournaments, high school games, charity walks, company picnics, expos and concerts. Occasionally, she will even participate in tarp pulls, setting up tables for concourse displays, changing out garbage and passing out giveaways at the gate.
“The Kernels play 70 home games. However, an additional 60-plus events take place at and around Veterans Memorial Stadium each year,” Jessica says. “Many of these I schedule, lead or am a part of. On most game days, our work day starts at 9 a.m. and isn’t over until 10 or 11 p.m.”
She started her career in 2002 as an intern with the Houston Astros minor league baseball team in Battle Creek, Texas. She soon switched to another minor league team as a group sales representative for the Lugnuts in Lansing, Mich. It wasn’t long before home began calling her name.
“John Rodgers, the voice of the Kernels, was visiting Lansing with the team and he found out that I was on (the Lugnuts) staff and from Iowa,” Jessica says. “He asked that I come meet him in the broadcast booth and he told me about positions that were opening up at the end of the season in Cedar Rapids. We went to lunch the next day and the rest is history.”
Throughout the years, her job has evolved from a sales representative to suite manager to community relations director to her current position as director of marketing and community relations.
“I love to see a big crowd cheering on the Kernels. It has been so much fun to help be a part of some great promotions we have done over the years,” Jessica says. “I will never forget the homecoming ceremony that was held at Vets in 2005 for the 234th Signal Battalion. That ceremony is probably the most memorable experience I have had at this stadium.”
Planning for the Kernels season begins the minute the previous season ends. When next season schedule is created, the staff begins setting game times, booking entertainment and coming up with ideas of how to improve upon the previous season.
The staff takes a two-day retreat to brainstorm ideas on how to make the Kernels experience more fun for the fans. New logos, theme nights and game time changes are created at these outings. After the retreat, they begin selling groups, suites, company outings, school and community nights and corporate sponsorships. There is only about six to seven months to get ready for the next season.
“We try to create lifelong baseball fans,” she says. “I have never regretted my choice to leave Michigan and return home to Iowa.”

— JUSTIN

“Love is Love”

Jamie Cook, 31, Cedar Rapids
Annuity Customer Care Representative @ AEGON

Tiana Huovinen, 32, Cedar Rapids
Collections Representative @ Toyota Financial

For many Iowans April 27 was just another Monday.

For Jamie Cook and Tiana Huovinen, that Monday morning was a celebration of life, love and civil rights. April 27 was the first day same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses after an April 3 unanimous decision by the Iowa Supreme Court to strike down a ban on same-sex marriage.

Jamie and Tiana were among the many couples who filed for a marriage license April 27. They’ll perform the actual ceremony soon.

“There was no question whether we would marry or not,” says Tiana. “We are a family and the legal recognition is important to us. I plan on being with Jamie forever.”

Being able to marry is a legal validation of what they’ve known, and lived, for a long time.

“This doesn’t change the bond I have to Tiana,” says Jamie. “The day we had our commitment ceremony is the day I devoted my life to hers. However, I’m extremely excited about the prospect of people finally realizing that this is a decision that no one else has the right to make for you. We are good for each other. Love is love!”

The couple met while Tiana, who grew up in Cedar Rapids, was living in Arizona. All it took was one date.

“(Jamie) was very honest about who she was and what mattered to her,” Tiana says. “I e-mailed after thinking about her for a week. We had a date and the rest is history.”

After dating for 10 months, the couple moved in together and began focusing on the future. Nearly three years ago, they held a commitment ceremony in Cape Verde, Ariz., surrounded by friends, family and running horses. It wasn’t long after that when they began to think of children.

“Tiana knew when we met that I wanted kids,” Jamie says. “She was uncertain but open to the idea. After being together for a few years, a friend of ours offered to be the donor. We carefully weighed out the pros and cons and decided this was what we both wanted. I conceived just three months after we began trying.”

It was early in her pregnancy when the couple decided to move to Iowa to be closer to Tiana’s family. This meant leaving Jamie’s supportive mother behind in Arizona but also raising the baby around loving grandparents, aunts, uncles and lots of cousins.

After moving back, Tiana got a job at Toyota Financial Services. After their son, Aidan, now 2, was born, Jamie got a job with AEGON. Everything was falling into place but there was one thing that remained out of reach.

“With civil unions, it seems that a government can pick and chose which rights to grant same-sex couples,” Tiana says. “Marriage, on the other hand, is the same in every state, every married couple has the same rights. Why would I want to settle for a consolation prize that doesn’t grant me the same rights?”

Now, for the first time, they feel they are seen as Iowans, not gay Iowans.

- JUSTIN

All over the map

“I don’t think of (Cedar Rapids, Mount Vernon and Monticello) as three different communities. They are just like three different neighborhoods to me.”

Monica Lyons, 29, Monticello
Coordinator of the Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy @ Cornell College

Monica Lyons could be the poster woman for living, working and playing in the Corridor.

Not just because she lives in Monticello, works in Mount Vernon, and plays – oh, and volunteers – in Cedar Rapids, either. Sure, she’s as good at the half-hour commute as any big city dweller, but Monica Lyons is also making an impact – and a pretty positive one at that – in each of those Corridor communities.

But if you ask Monica, “community” is not the right approach.

“I don’t think of them as three different communities. They are just like three different neighborhoods to me,” she says.

And she’s certainly made herself right at home in those neighborhoods since coming to the Corridor from Keokuk 10 years ago as a freshman at Cornell.

After graduation in 2002, Monica worked with the Iowa Democratic Party and for Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, – who she considers a personal political hero – before being hired on by Cornell, first in the alumni office to help strengthen relationships with young alumni and then in her current position.

As coordinator at the Berry Center, she runs a variety of programs to help expose the college to economics, business and public policy through bringing in speakers, working with faculty to develop new courses, arranging for off campus opportunities, and advising students (just a couple hundred) on internships and workshops.

“It’s like figuring out an academic game plan for students to help prepare them for a career or graduate school,” she says.

When she’s not busy with other Cornell activities – outside of work, she advises four different groups on campus and is involved with Cornell’s Relay for Life - and making an impact on students, she’s using her spare time to make an impact in other areas of her “neighborhoods.”

Volunteer efforts take Monica to her Cedar Rapids “neighborhood” most often. For the last five years she has served on the board for the Grant Wood Chapter of the American Red Cross. She also happens to be the 2009 president of Access Iowa and will serve as co-chair of the soon-to-be-launched AI/Next Generation merger.

Monica figures she has an average of three to four meetings a week in Cedar Rapids. Last week, for example, it was a Red Cross meeting on Tuesday, Access Iowa events on Wednesday and Thursday and Leadership for Five Seasons (she’s in the 2009 class) on Friday.

And next week doesn’t slow down either. It gets busier actually. (See below for all the upcoming events filling her calendar. You can join her!)

But Monica wouldn’t have it any other way and thinks she and other young professionals in the Corridor are lucky.

“In other areas, the access to these opportunities isn’t as easily identifiable,” Monica says. “Here, you can make meaningful connections and your work makes a positive impact on the community.”

Neighborhoods, rather.

 – Katie

DID YOU KNOW: Monica is really excited about May Day (she and her husband Kristofer exchange May Day gifts) but her favorite holiday is Sweetest Day. (Mark your calendar for October 17th!)

WHAT SHE CAN DO FOR YOU: She’s involved in planning a whole slew of great events for young professionals. Check out the Red Cross Big B*A*S*H on Friday, May 1, GOT on Boards on Tuesday, May 5, and the Leadership for Five Seasons Dinner on Friday, May 8.