Age: 61

Address: 2200 Summer St., Burlington

Party affiliation: Democrat, Serving second term in the Senate 

Names and ages of immediate family members: Wife, the late Donna Courtney; three children: Dawn, a special education teacher; Shawna, an elementary teacher; and Brian, a paramedic in Colorado. Plus four grandchildren.

Educational background: Wapello High School, 1965; various training while in the military; was discharged from the military as an air traffic controller in 1972.

Occupation: Retired from Case Company in Burlington. Served six years as bargaining chair for UAW Local 807 and was the union production safety representative from 1988 until retirement in 2002.  

Previous elective office or other pertinent experience: Serves as Southeast Iowa Community Action Program chair. Served eight years on the Burlington School Board, six years as president. Former chairman of the Burlington Civil Service Commission. Served on the Iowa Judicial Nominating Committee, currently serves on the Workforce Development Commission, and member of AMVETS. Served on steering committee for Community Health Center of Southeast Iowa and Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety Board. Past chair of the Des Moines County Democrats. I am an Assistant Leader, serving as Whip for the Democratic Majority in the Senate. I am also chair of the Government Oversight Committee and vice-chair of the Labor and Business Relations Committee.In addition, I sit on the Agriculture, Commerce, Rules and Administration, and Administrative Rules committees.

Served six years active duty in the U.S. Air Force as an air traffic controller.

General description of legislative district: Senate District 44 includes Des Moines and Louisa counties and five precincts in Muscatine County

Salary of the position. $25,000 per year