Waukee Mayor Bill Peard has named local leader and community activities enthusiast Eric Kress Waukee’s 2018 Citizen of the Year. The Citizen of the Year honor is given each year to an exemplary resident who represents the true spirit of community service.
As Citizen of the Year, Eric will be honored at a public open house reception on Wednesday, April 24 at the Waukee Community Center (675 Walnut Street) from 6-8 p.m. He will be presented with a proclamation and Key to the City by Mayor Peard. Kress will also be recognized as the new Citizen of the Year while he rides in Waukee’s Fourth of July parade.
“I’ve known Eric for a long time, and it’s easy to see why he was nominated for Citizen of the Year,” said Waukee Mayor Bill Peard. “He’s truly a stand-up individual. A lot of people in Waukee count on Eric for a lot of things. He is very deserving of this honor.”
Kress is originally from Jesup, Iowa, but moved to Waukee in 2007 after several years of working in the community. He is a University of Northern Iowa graduate who has developed a robust career at, and furthered the cause of, the Waukee Family YMCA. He started with the YMCA in 2002 as a Youth Program Director; he has held several positions within the organization since then including his current post as Executive Director since April 2009.
Community volunteer work has been a priority for Kress. He was on the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce Board for several years, and he currently serves on the Waukee Betterment Foundation Board. Kress has devoted countless hours as a Sunday school teacher, volunteer youth basketball and softball coach, and school classroom party volunteer. He was also a graduate of the second class of the Waukee Leadership Institute. Beyond Waukee, he has volunteered with Meals from the Heartland and the Blank Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees & Lights.
Kress and his wife Danielle have two daughters: Lilah, 10 and Jillian, 8. When not running the Y or helping out around Waukee, some of his favorites include the Chicago Cubs, “Star Wars” movies and the band Pearl Jam.