About FRAN

Faith Reeves serves as Fairfield’s Sustainability Coordinator and the founding Project Director of the Fairfield Resilient Action Network (FRAN). With over a decade of experience in community development, soil health, and local food systems, she specializes in translating community vision into practical, on-the-ground projects. Faith convened and facilitated the 35-member Resilient Action Committee and now leads Phase 2 implementation through partnerships, funding coordination, and volunteer-driven action.

Stuart Valentine is a Fairfield-based leader with decades of experience in finance, sustainability, and nonprofit governance. He is Board Chair of the Sustainable Living Coalition and previously served on the board of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, supporting permanent protection of farmland for local food production. As a co-founder of Centered Wealth, Stuart brings a strong background in impact investing, strategic planning, and community-centered economic development to FRAN’s work.

Don Hoelting brings decades of experience in accounting, property management, and local volunteer leadership. A former CPA and controller for several Fairfield companies, he has also owned and managed a modular and manufactured home business and overseen residential renovations. Don has served on the boards of the Fairfield Art Walk and Fairfield Volunteer Center and contributes practical financial and operational insight to FRAN’s work.

Marg Dwyer is a longtime Fairfield resident with a background spanning education, finance, and public service. After a 19-year management career at Cambridge Investment Research, she has focused her energy on community and environmental initiatives. Marg has served on the local school board, is active with the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club, and was part of the leadership team for the Resilient Fairfield Initiative. She now serves as FRAN’s board secretary.

Thomas Brooks has been actively engaged as a university administrator at Maharishi International University (MIU) for over 43 years. He has experience in all phases of administration, operations, and project management. Currently, Tom is focused on University Sustainability and Resiliency and helps organize special courses at MIU.

Joe Ledger brings nearly five decades of farming experience and deep community roots to the FRAN board. A lifelong Jefferson County resident and 1972 Pekin graduate, Joe and his wife of 48 years, Mary Ann, farmed near Fairfield from the early 1970s until his recent retirement, raising crops and livestock and adopting no-till, cover crops, and tile terraces along the way. The Iowa Farm Bureau profiled their conservation work, and the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce named Joe its 2021 Agriculture Farmer of the Year. Joe and Mary Ann have two daughters and three grandchildren and are active at St. Mary Catholic Church.

Joe served 25 years on the Jefferson County Farm Bureau board, including terms as president and vice president and as a state and national voting delegate, traveling to Washington, D.C. on agricultural policy. He has also led the local Corn Growers and Young Farmers, served on the County Board of Health and Civil Service Commission, and was a member of the Resilient Action Committee, the community focus group that gave rise to FRAN. In November 2024, voters elected Joe to a four-year term on the Board of Supervisors.