Since starting her career in banking, Carrie has held many positions within the bank from an administrative assistant, loan processor, consumer loan officer, branch manager, ag lender, and currently she is Vice President of Lending at the Robins office. She continues to wear many hats in the lending arena, but her main focus is Commercial Lending and she really enjoys working with small businesses. Building trust and relationships is priority for Carrie. She has her BA in Business Management from Central College, Pella, Iowa and has attended the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, WI. Over the years she has had the opportunity to work for the big bank and the community bank. Carrie enjoys the community bank and their focus on working to make the communities they are a part of a better place to live and work. She loves being involved in organizations where you can see the results of your hard work make a difference. She is passionate about supporting women continue their education by helping provide grants, scholarships and loans through the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Being involved in the local community is also of great importance. Her past times include biking, bow hunting, golf and health & fitness.

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Tom Chalstrom, CEO of First Federal Credit Union, has been employed in the banking industry since 1985 and in executive and board positions since 1990. Tom has a long history of community involvement, economic development, and non-profit experience. Tom and his wife Susan moved to Robins in 2016 from North Central Iowa. Since his time in Linn County, Tom has become involved in Neighborhood Finance Corp, Wilis Dady Homeless Services, Cedar Rapids Kernels Foundation, Daybreak Rotary and is a past board member of the Xavier Catholic School Foundation. His career experience includes housing initiatives as a means to expanding opportunities within a community.

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Dawn loves life in Robins with her husband Josh and 3 dogs and looks forward to sharing those great life experiences as Robins and REDI grow. Working from home as a project manager, she sees fiber to the home here as one of the many strengths of our connected Robins community. Dawn also brings many years’ experience in public relations, marketing, government and nonprofit fundraising work to her REDI role. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering as a pet therapy team with her dog Oliver and assisting new area pet therapy teams as a tester/observer for Alliance of Therapy Dogs. A native of Decorah, she also volunteered to write the history of the first 50 years of that community’s renowned Nordic Fest.

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Kent brings nearly four decades of experience in education and business leadership. He began his career as a Business Education teacher in Belle Plaine, Iowa, where he spent 13 years helping students develop practical, real-world skills. Kent then served for 10 years as a middle school principal at Linn-Mar, providing instructional leadership and guiding school improvement initiatives. Following his work in education, Kent transitioned to the financial sector, spending 16 years in Business Development at Community Savings Bank. In this role, he focused on building relationships, supporting local businesses, and contributing to community growth. Kent’s career reflects a strong commitment to education, leadership, and community-focused development.

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Dennis Trachta, Robins native and business owner, has been actively working to improve the community that he and his family call home. After graduating from the University of Iowa, Dennis worked in real estate, insurance sales, and later started a storage equipment sales company that he has been in business for 40 years. During his many years as a public servant for the city of Robins, he has received the 50-year medallion from Civitan International, served on the Robins Planning and Zoning Commission for 10 years, and REDI for 8 years. Dennis currently lives in Robins with his wife Connie and is a dedicated Iowa Hawkeyes fan.

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Randy also serves as President of the Robins Civic Club. He served the city of Robins as former Mayor 2000-2006 and also served on the City Council and as Zoning Administrator. He is a retired sales representative from 37 years in the corrugated packaging industry. He also serves as a board member/Chairman for the non-profit Mission of Hope in Cedar Rapids. He has been married for 43 years to Denise. They have one daughter and 4 granddaughters.

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Greg re-joins the REDI Board to start 2026, after serving as the Director of REDI since 2021.  Greg had a long career in Law and Banking before becoming Economic Development Director. With the construction of the I380 interchange at Tower Terrace Road, there is new potential for development. Greg has enjoyed being part of the group that developed the vision for the Robins Landing area and looks forward to working to see that come to fruition.

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Brad grew up in Marion and has been a resident of Robins for over 30 years. He and his wife, Deb, renovated Historic 100 East Main Street and opened Dry Creek Brew in 2018. In addition to Dry Creek Brew, they operate Group 1 LLC, a wholesale lighting business that serves the upper midwest. Along with his REDI board position, Brad has been involved with Robins Planning and Zoning and is currently serving with the FLUM and SFGO committees. Robins is very special place to Brad and he serves to do his part to maintain the culture, while helping to responsibly grow the community.

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Kirk brings to REDI, 35 years in this community, with an emphasis on helping companies market their products and services, as an Owner of Metro Studios, a Hiawatha based marketing and advertising agency. Kirk has been a resident of Robins for nearly 25 years and is excited to be a member of the Robins Economic Development Initiative Board of Directors – committed to current and future growth of one of the best towns in Eastern Iowa. Outside of work, Kirk spends time in various volunteer and charitable organizations, as well as spending time with his wife, adult children, and grandchildren, traveling, pretending to be a DIY’er and rooting for his beloved Chicago Cubs and Iowa Hawkeyes.

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Stevenis a lifelong Linn County resident and has called Robins home for the past 26 years. He is the founder and owner of Parallel 42, a consulting and coaching firm focused on leadership development, organizational health, and operational excellence. Steven also serves as an Enterprise Lean Project Manager with Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Services (CIRAS), where he works alongside manufacturers, non-profits, and community organizations across Iowa to strengthen people, processes, and performance. With decades of experience in both for-profit and non-profit leadership, Steven brings a people-centered, systems-thinking approach to economic and community development. His background includes extensive work in Lean, workforce development, leadership coaching, and board service, with a consistent emphasis on alignment, stewardship, and long-term sustainability. Steven has been married to his wife Karen for 39 years, and together they have six adult children and twelve grandchildren. Deeply invested in the future of Robins and the surrounding region, Steven is passionate about building strong communities where people and businesses can thrive for generations to come.

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Brandy Z. Meisheid serves as a Linn County Supervisor representing District 3, which includes the City of Robins. She is a fifth-generation Linn County resident. She and her husband, Michael, have two children, Zachary and Weston. In her role as Supervisor, Brandy serves on the Area Ambulance Service Board, the Solid Waste Agency, the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG), the Emergency Management Agency (EMA), and the Marion Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO). Brandy is a graduate of North Linn High School and Buena Vista University. She brings professional experience in graphic design and marketing, agricultural sales, and nonprofit fundraising to her REDI role. She is also a small business owner. Brandy believes in the power of small towns and creating partnerships that will drive sustainable growth and a strong future for the City of Robins.

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Chuck Hinz has been mayor of Robins since 2014, the same year he retired as Dean of two Kirkwood Community College departments: Learning Services and Business and Information Technology. He served on the Robins Planning and Zoning Commission from 2000 until 2003 when he was elected to the City Council. As a City Council member, he was instrumental in the formation of REDI (Robins Economic Development Initiative). As mayor he takes the most pride in keeping city property taxes the lowest in the metro area while at the same time growing the city. Also critical to the success of Robins has been the implementation of the Strategic Future Growth Outline (SFGO) which establishes short-term goals (next two years), intermediate goals (years 3 – 5), and long-term goals (years 6 – 15) in four major areas: infrastructure, economic development, city services, and communication. He and his wife Michele live in Robins; they have four kids with families of their own who live in England, the Netherlands, Texas, and Cedar Rapids.

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