United Way speaker series 'Voices of Inspiration' returns fall 2026
|
NEWTON - United Way of Jasper County's innovative and educational programming “Voices of Inspiration” spearker series will kick off its 2026 season this spring.
“Voices of Inspiration” will feature engaging speakers who will inspire, motivate and inform the audience. The series aligns with the core mission of United Way of Jasper County, which is to uplift and empower the community, and promote life-long learning. "The series continues with a variety of speakers in the world of sports & entertainment, art, history and culture," said Jessica Lowe Vokes, UWJC Executive Director. "I'm so excited about the guests lined up for 2026." 2026 LINEUP INCLUDES: ● RETURNING!!! Sarah Pratt - Butter Cow Sculptor, Teacher - March 5 ● NFL referee Soctt Helverson - March 12 ● Cartoonist Adam Van Wyk - April 9 ● Justin Gilsan - State Climatologist- April TBD Adults and students alike are encouraged to attend. The event is open to all with a free-will admission collected to help continue and grow the speaker series. The program is made possible thanks to generous support from presenting sponsors Dodd's Trash Hauling & Recycling and Black Hills Energy. Additional funding and support is from Ryan's Tire & Auto, Doug & Rhonda Wolf Family, Pence-Reese Funeral Home, Jessica Lowe Vokes and Erik Vokes and DMACC Newton Campus. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: ● Doors open at 6 p.m. No early admission will be allowed. ● Line up is not allowed before 5 p.m. ● Please no recording. Photographs are welcome. ● Do not bring large bags or backpacks. Space is limited and we want to make sure as many people can have seats as possible. ● Admission is free but donations are accepted to support our mission. ● Seating is first come, first served. Capacity is 325 people. We will not be able to seat more than that. |
PAST GUESTS INCLUDE:
● Philanthropist and viral sign guy Carson King ● Former professional athlete & UNI Hall of Famer, motivation speaker Andre Allen ● Environmentalist, activist, retired teacher and Native American Carol Kramer ● Iowa historian and professor Kevin Mason ● Olympic Wrestling Champion, coach, motivational speaker Ben Peterson ● Emmy Award-winning TV Host and Newton native Sara Haines ● Spy historian, author and film consultant Gary Powers, Jr. ● Famed Norway baseball coach, author and speaker Kent Stock ●Newton resident, award-winning journalist and author Mike Chapman ● Journalist, professor and former Newton resident Ty Rushing ● Olympic champion and drag car racer Matt Stutzman ● Rebuild Nepal founder Ernie Schiller and RN board member Nathan Unsworth ● Iowa businessman and innovator Terry Rich ● Donna Reed Foundation's Mary Owen (daughter of Donna Reed) ● Professional magician and historian William Pack ● Dog trainer/photographer Bev Klingensmith & Bing, her movie star dog of "The Friend" ● Colin Behr - fashion designer and publisher, Nike shoe designer ● Tyler Sullivan - Iowa Scenic Views By Feet author and speaker ● Sarah Pratt - Butter Cow Sculptor, Teacher, Artist |
PARTNER SPONSORS:Doug & Rhonda Wolf Family
Jessica Lowe Vokes
|
Speaker Biographies
SARAH PRATT ~ March 5, 2026
|
SARAH PRATT - Sarah Pratt has been sculpting butter for more than 30 years, starting as an apprentice with Norma "Duffy" Lyon, the famed butter sculptor. Under Duffy's tutelage, Sarah developed her own sculpting style, and when Duffy retired in 2005, she named Sarah her successor. Since then, not only has Sarah sculpted Butter Cows, but also companion sculptures like Superman, Harry Potter, Sesame Street and Music Man. Sarah sculpts annually at state fairs in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas. Sculpting is a family affair for the Pratts. Her daughters, Hannah and Grace, are in their 8th year of apprenticeship and studying the Arts at the University of Northern Iowa. Currently, Sarah and her daughters have a sculpture on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery. The show, State Fairs: Growing American Craft," will run from Aug. 22, 2025, through Sept. 7, 2026. In addition to sculpting, Sarah is a teacher, collector of history and life long learner. She enjoys combining these interests by sharing the history and art of butter sculpting through presentations and classes at schools, colleges and libraries.
|
|
SCOTT HELVERSON ~ March 12, 2026
|
SCOTT HELVERSON - Iowa native Scott Helverson began refereeing for youth football in the Des Moines area and now is in his 22nd season as a back judge in the NFL.
Helverson graduated from Des Moines East High School and then enrolled at the University of Iowa. He was a walk-on for Iowa’s football program, but quickly became a starting player. He would go on to earn a scholarship and became his team’s MVP. During his time at Iowa he caught 76 passes for 996 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in his collegiate career and was a member of two Rose Bowl teams. After hanging up his helmet, Helverson began reffing. He worked his way up from refereeing youth leagues to high school where he served as an officiant from 1988-1985. He then became a college ref and then pro football. He has served as a referee for three Super Bowl games including 2008 XLII, 2011 XLV and 2021 LXI. His refereeing resume includes: • Iowa Conference officiant 1990-1995 • Division III National Championship officiant Alonzo Stagg Bowl 1993 • Big Ten officiant 1995-2002 • NFL Europe officiant 2000 - 2002 • NFL Back Judge 2003 - current |
|
ADAM VAN WYK ~ April 9, 2026
|
ADAM VAN WYK - Adam Van Wyk is a Des Moines-based illustrator. Adam is a storyboard artist who has worked in the film and TV industry for more than 30 years for studios including Warner Brothers, Illumination, Sony Pictures, and Disney Television Animation.
Adam has been an integral part of many notable projects including Despicable Me, Minions, Secret Life of Pets, The Grinch, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Kim Possible, Rio, Ice Age, Looney Tunes, Harley Quinn, Tom & Jerry, Teen Titans, Justic League, Batman Beyond and (drumroll) SCOOBY-DOO!!! |
|
Past Speaker Biographies
|
CARSON KING - April 4, 2024
CARSON KING – What started out as a funny sign asking for beer money turned into a life changing event for Jasper County, Iowa-native Carson King. During ESPN’s College Game Day coverage of the Iowa State University football game, King’s “need beer money” sign caught national attention. After a few hundred dollars in contributions came in, King decided to donate the total amount to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospitals (Less $18 for a case of Busch Light). Word spread and King’s plans went viral leading to a $3 million donation from more than 35,000 donors. Today, King continues his philanthropic work through the Carson King Foundation.
Learn more at www.carsonkingfoundation.org |
|
ANDRÉ ALLEN - April 11, 2024ANDRÉ ALLEN – André Allen grew up in King-Irvin neighborhood during the critical time of a heighten crime, drug trafficking and prostitution. He moved from the country side of Itta Bena, Mississippi, to the low-income living in Des Moines, Iowa, but he dreamed of one day living a life where his environment would not negate his position in life. So after graduation he accepted a full scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa where he became one of the most feared Linebackers in the game of football. After graduation from college his dreams of joining the NFL became a reality as an undrafted free agent to the Philadelphia Eagles. After a two-year bid in the NFL, Allen’s career carried him to World Football League for the London Monarchs. He then played for the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. Allen currently holds a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa & B.A. from Hamilton Business college and a Masters of Business Administration/Technology Management from the University of Phoenix. In addition, he carries other certifications and leadership trainings. Allen has three sons, André (AJ), Trevor and Ayden. -
Learn more at: https://www.blackexcellenceiowa.org/andréallen |
|
CAROL KRAMER - April 25, 2024CAROL KRAMER - Carol Kramer is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and a life-long conservationist and educator. She was born on the White Earth Reservation in Northern Minnesota and raised by my Anishenabey parents. She lived in a traditional Ojibway home with her father supporting the family by trapping mink, beaver and ermine and hunting wild game in the winter. The whole family helped by finishing Maple syrup and sugar, berry picking, cutting pulp to sell to paper companies, and harvesting wild rice.
Kramer graduated from Bemidji State College. She and her husband Rev. Fritz Kramer were married in 1956, and moved to Newton in 1966 to raise their family. During their time in Newton, they were active in many groups, volunteering thousands of hours, and hosting dozens of foreign exchange students, campaign workers and other visitors to stay in their home. Kramer shared she was involved in “too many things” to list but includes Jasper Conservation Board, Iowa State Dept. of Natural Resources, Project AWAKE Board, Military Academy, Skiff Auxiliary, Willowbrook Day Center and Mitchellville Women’s Correctional Institute, along with many political offices, church involvement. |
|
KEVIN MASON - May 2, 2024
Dr. KEVIN MASON, Ph.D. -Kevin Mason serves as Associate Professor of History at Waldorf University, an award-winning author and a member of the State Historical Society of Iowa Board of Trustees.
Mason is also the founder of Notes on Iowa, a social media channel that shares daily interesting historical facts about Iowa and Iowans. Focusing on the history of the American Midwest, and Iowa specifically, Mason strives to help the Iowa community better understand our shared past through multimedia storytelling. Learn more at: https://www.facebook.com/NotesOnIowa or www.notesoniowa.com |
|
BEN PETERSON - May 9, 2024BEN PETERSON - Ben Peterson is former gold-medal winning Olympic wrestler. He competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and won a gold and a silver medal, respectively. He also won a bronze in the 1973 World Championships and a gold medal in the 1975 Pan American Games.
As a college wrestler, Peterson was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State. Peterson also coached wrestling at Maranatha Baptist University for 28 years. In 1977, Ben and his brother John, a fellow gold-medal Olympic wrestler, started Camp of Champs Wrestling Camps to help develop wrestling and leadership skills in youth. In 2002, he was inducted in to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Peterson lives in his native Wisconsin with his family, and continues to champion the sport of wrestling, and travels the country sharing his insight and wisdom for life both on and off the mat. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/people/Camp-of-Champs-INC/100064435344183/ |
|
SARA HAINES - Aug. 6, 2024SARA HAINES - Sara Haines is a co-host of ABC’s Emmy® Award-winning daytime talk show “The View” and the host of ABC’s primetime game show “The Chase.” Haines returned to “The View” panel in 2020 for season 24, having been a co-host in 2016-2018 for seasons 20-21. Haines previously co-hosted ABC News’ “GMA 3: Strahan, Sara & Keke.” Prior to her association with ABC News in 2013, Haines was part of the fourth hour of NBC’s “Today” alongside Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, a position she held from 2009 to 2013. In 2008, she began online reporting as host of the program’s entertainment video blog, “Backstage Pass,” interviewing countless celebrity entertainers, actors and musicians.Haines came aboard “Today” in 2002 as a production coordinator. Prior to joining NBC News, she was a member of NBC’s page program.
Haines graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in government. She is a native of Newton, Iowa. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband, Max, and three young children, Alec, Sandra and Caleb. |
|
GARY POWERS, JR. - Aug. 8, 2024GARY POWERS, Jr. - Gary Powers Jr. is a historian, author, speaker and son of the late Gary Powers, U2 Spy Plane Pilot. Powers’ newest book, “Enemy Territory,” is a graphic novel about the U-2 Incident. My recent book, “Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy,” helps to set the record straight in regards to the fake news that surround the U-2 Incident and tarnished his father’s reputation. It gives an overview of what it was like to grow up in the shadow of a famous Cold War figure, my search for the truth after my father’s death in 1977 when I was 12 years old, and how my research led to the USAF and CIA posthumously awarding my father the POW Medal / Director’s Medal and Silver Star in 2000 and 2012 respectively. Powers has lectured internationally on the Cold War, his famous father, the U-2 Incident, espionage, and the need to honor Cold War veterans, preserve Cold War history, and educate future generations about this time period for over 30 years. Powers was also a consultant on Spielberg’s 2015 Cold War thriller, “Bridge of Spies,” that depicts his father’s exchange for Soviet spy Rudolph Able in 1962 at the Glienicke Bridge in Potsdam, Germany.
www.garypowers.com |
|
KENT STOCK - Sept. 12, 2024KENT STOCK - A teacher, coach, middle school principal, banker and powerful speaker, Kent Stock is also the man who coached the Norway baseball team during their now-famous final season. As depicted in the 2007 film, The Final Season, the nationally recognized Norway baseball team came together under then first-year head baseball coach Stock to defy the odds and win Norway’s 20th state title in what would become the team’s final season before merging with a bigger, neighboring school district. Stock released a book titled, “Heading for Home: My Journey from Little League to Hollywood” outlining his life’s journey and the behind the scenes stories of filming a movie. While a long-time inspirational force for the many students he has taught and coached over the years, their families and countless education providers, Stock launched his professional speaking career in 2007. His inspirational message has a powerful impact on young and old alike and transcends the field, classroom, or office. He currently lives in Marion, Iowa. with his wife Laurie and they have two adult daughters.
Learn more at: https://kentstock.com/ |
|
MIKE CHAPMAN
|
|
TY RUSHING - Oct. 24, 2024TY RUSHING - Ty Rushing is a Kansas City, Kansas, native who made a name for himself as an award-winning Iowa journalist. He broke barriers as the first Black reporter and/or editor at eight Iowa print publications across the state. Rushing started his career at the then-Newton Daily News, where he was voted favorite media personality twice in the Jasper County Readers Choice Awards and lost the Thanks with Franks hot dog eating contest in tremendous fashion. Throughout this journey, Rushing has written about everything from agriculture to race relations to disastrous taco festivals. Recently, he wrote, produced, and directed an Emmy-nominated documentary film for Iowa PBS. He received the 2024 Greenlee/Kappa Tau Alpha Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University. Rushing is the co-founder and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists and previously served as chief political correspondent of Iowa Starting Line. He resides with his wife in the Iowa City area and is a journalism professor at the University of Iowa. Learn more at: https://tyrushing.substack.com/
|
|
MATT STUTZMAN
|
|
REBUILD NEPAL with
|
|
TERRY RICH -
|
|
MARY ANNE OWEN
|
|
WILLIAM PACK -
|
|
BEV KLINGENSMITH & BING - Sept. 25, 2025BEV KLINGENSMITH: Bev Klingensmith is a long-time Newton resident, and great up in Knoxville Bev is married and has two adult sons. Her full time job is as a technical business analyst at Wells Fargo and she has been with the company for nearly 30 years.
Bev said: "I acquired my first Great Dane in the mid-90s and fell in love with the breed. I breed Danes, with Bing being my fourth generation. We also have a 7 year old Golden Retriever, Nash. He and Bing are the same age and were raised together, with the help of my two sons taking charge of some early training responsibilities. I enjoy training my dogs so they can be great family companions, plus I enjoy participating in fun dog events." Bing is an AKC champion and also has various obedience titles. After getting hooked on Danes, Bev became active in various dog clubs, like the Great Dane Club in Iowa, Central Iowa Kennel Club, Des Moines Obedience Training Club, and Great Dane Club of America. Bev also enjoys photography, specializing in dog portraits, and has had several images published in calendars and magazines. Bev said, "I look forward to sharing our surreal experience filming and promoting a movie!" |
|
COLIN BEHR -
|
|
TYLER SULLIVAN
|
|
SARAH PRATT
|
Presenting Sponsor
|
|
|
Partnering Sponsors
|
|
Doug & Rhonda Wolf
|
Jessica Lowe Vokes
|
Site Host & In-Kind Sponsor
