Polk County Republican Leadership

Chair: John Bloom

I was born in 1952 in Rock Island, IL.  My father was a World War II veteran and a life insurance agent.  My mother was a clerk in the Civilian Corp during World War II and a legal secretary.  I have three brothers and one sister.   I lived on a farm in northwest Illinois until about 4th grade when we moved to a hard working blue-collar precinct near the Farmall tractor plant in Rock Island, IL.  It was a stronghold for Democrats, but my parents felt it was their responsibility to take care of their family, help their neighbors and work through tough times without relying on the government, so we were Republicans.

I graduated from Rock Island Senior High School in 1970.  It was a very large diverse public school with an enrollment exceeding 2,000 in three grades.  I played varsity baseball and studied just enough to qualify for a state college.  I married my wife of nearly 38 years in 1971.  I graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1974 with degrees in Accounting and Finance.  I passed the CPA exam shortly after graduation.  I completed an MBA at the University of Iowa in 1989.

In 1974, I went immediately to work for John Deere as an auditor.  I enjoyed a very rewarding 34-year career retiring in March of 2008.  My last position was Manager of Global Strategic Sourcing.  During my career, I had the opportunity to travel extensively in the United States and many foreign countries.  My exposure to the developing countries, especially India and China, convinced me that their societies are very committed to education, hard work and a better life for their families.  I believe we can sustain our standard of living in the United States only by accepting and meeting the challenges of global competition.  I believe free market capitalism with reasonable government oversight will continue to provide the greatest prosperity for the greatest number of Americans.

My wife and I have four children.  They are all graduates of Iowa universities.  Three of them live in the Des Moines metro area.  The fourth is a veterinarian in Colorado Springs.  My wife was a non-traditional student earning her degree from Northern Iowa in 1990.  She taught 5th – 6th grades for 15 years in three different school systems.   All of her assignments were in public schools located in financially disadvantaged districts.  Every one of her classes exceeded normal learning benchmarks.   From her experiences, I have a great appreciation for the challenges teachers face and the impact that they can deliver.

In addition to my political interests, I like to read, spend time with my family and occasionally demonstrate a poor golf game.  My wife and I both volunteer at our church, St. Timothy’s Episcopal in West Des Moines, and at The FreeStore, a non-profit organization helping women start over when they leave the Family Violence Center.

I am honored to be Chairman of the Polk County Republican Central Committee.  I believe our traditional conservative principles best serve the majority of Americans.

Co-Chair: Will Rogers

Will Rogers was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa.  After graduating high school, Will served in the U.S. Army as an M-1 Tank Crewman and served in combat operations as a part of Desert Shield-Desert Storm.  After his enlistment, he returned to Des Moines to pursue an education at Drake University where he majored in Political Science and Rhetoric.

While at Drake University, Will worked as field staff for Dr. Greg Ganske’s campaign for Congress in 1994.  After the election Will returned to finish his degree at Drake.  After operating a small business for five years, Will returned to politics to assist Congressman Greg Ganske’s campaign for Senate in 2002.

In 2003, he was named the first full-time Executive Director for the Polk County Republican Party and was instrumental in rebuilding the county party after the failed elections of 2002.  In 2004, he served as Campaign Manager for Congressman Tom Latham’s re-election.  From October of ’05 through May ’07, Will worked for the Iowa Soybean Association as Producer Services Coordinator.  Will currently serves as the Director of Government Affairs for the Iowa Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association.