Bob Bartles, Des Moines County Supervisor Candidate Bob Bartles is running for Des Moines County Supervisor because he believes in strong rural communities, responsible local government, and looking out for our neighbors — the same values he was raised with.

 

Bob grew up on a multigenerational century farm in Missouri, where he learned early the importance of hard work, self-reliance, and community. His parents didn’t have much – they were poor most of their lives, but they were self-reliant and lived simply. Their example shaped who Bob is and how he leads. Education has always mattered in Bob’s family. His grandmother taught in one-room schoolhouses. When the state required teachers to have a degree, she went back to college in her mid-60s to keep teaching rural kids. Bob followed that example, becoming only the second person in his family to earn a college degree, and later earned a master’s in counseling psychology.

 

Bob’s career has been dedicated to service. He spent decades leading nonprofit organizations that support people with intellectual disabilities, including serving as Executive Director of Hope Haven in southeast Iowa. He’s also been active in community leadership — past president of the Burlington Rotary Club, a Greater Burlington Partnership Emmy Award recipient for civic service. He’s a member of the Community Foundation of Des Moines County Board of Directors and the City of Burlington Homelessness Task Force. One of the efforts Bob’s most proud of is helping sponsor three Ukrainian refugee families and being part of the team that has welcomed more than 200 Ukrainian refugees to southeast Iowa.

 

That work reflects one of Bob’s core values: stepping up for people in need. Bob’s now running for County Supervisor because Des Moines County is at a crossroads.