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ITM gets $750K grant, public meeting Feb. 19, 08

Reprinted courtesy of The Grinnell-Herald Register January, 17, 2008

Charles R. "Chuck" Brooke, a lifelong resident of the Grinnell area, has been named executive director of the Iowa Transportation Museum. He began working full-time in his new role effective Jan. 1, 2008. Brooke succeeds John Swanson, who has served as executive director of the project since2003.

The announcement about Brooke was accompanied by a series of others from the ITM board: that the project has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation Enhancement Fund: that plans for the design of the facility's interior exhibition space will be presented at a public meeting here on Tuesday, Feb. 19, and that the board will be launching a campaign this spring to raise $1 million locally toward the project.

"John laid a lot of good groundwork in the time he was in the position, and did a lot of good things in terms of applying for grants, getting the word out and making hundreds of contacts," Brooke said Wednesday. "We thank John for all that he did."

Brooke has been a member of the ITM board for over two years, and during that time assisted Swanson with various local activities and needs as required.

Now that he is staff, Brooke said, he wants to let people know, "there's a person on the street here everyday" working on the project.

In addition to local roots, Brooke brings a unique transportation perspective to the ITM: he had a 33-year career working in GTE's supply and transportation department, responsible for managing buildings and fleet operations in a multi-state environment. That work included the purchase of vehicles and construction equipment, preparing budgets, supervision and other management duties. After the sale of GTE, he worked an additional year for Iowa Telecom to assist with the transition.

Most recently, people may recognize Brooke from the aisles of Ace Hardware here where he worked for Paul and Linda Nowasell, who he credits with being flexible in his scheduling so he could pursue his volunteer work with the ITM.

"I'm really happy that we've got Chuck on board," noted Mayor Gordon Canfield, who is treasurer of the ITM board of directors. "He has time to devote to this. He's a local person, well-known in the community, and he is very positive person who I think will do a wonderful job for us. I'm looking forward to being part of his team, if you will. He already has plans for making things happen in Grinnell, and I'm looking forward to working with him."

The grant from the IDOT requires $250,000 in matching funds, and is for the building project itself, Brooke says, connecting the two eastern ITM buildings with an atrium and preparing the path for the programmatic space within.

Local dollars will also be important as the project seeks Iowa Vision funding, Brooke notes.

"The reality is, it's going to benefit Grinnell as much or more as anyone in the state," he said, "with the amount of tourism it will bring into the community."

In addition to fundraising, Brooke's role will include day-today activities such as working with contractors like designers, architects or construction crews, and working as a focal point or liaison for volunteers and the city "to make sure we're always in harmony with the community as to what we do down there," he says.

"I'd like to emphasize that even though there may not appear to be a lot going on on the face of those buildings, there is a lot going on behind the scenes, like applying for grants and working on design concepts," Brooke stressed. "We haven't been sitting our hands; it just takes a long time for it all to evolve. The board is real excited and optimistic: we're moving forward." ITM board members concurred.

"It's good to know we're making progress," said Canfield. "I know it's difficult for the citizens of Grinnell to believe that we're making progress when you don't see anything being built on that site down there but that will happen very soon, and we can all look forward to the day when there will actually be a museum to walk into. With a touch of humor I say, it will be in our lifetimes."

Board President Gerry Schnepf says the pieces of the major project are falling into place: "I'm sure that the local community thinks we've been spinning our wheels. Actually we've got traction now and a lot of progress to report, so the wheels are in motion."

"There has always been good support from Grinnell," Schnepf added. "Now, we'll probably need it even more."

The public meeting in February will present a great opportunity for "Grinnellians to learn where the project is now and where it's headed, Canfield says.

"It will provide a good chance for people to participate in what's going to happen in there, and have a chance for input," the mayor said. "We hope that meeting is well attended and we urge all interested citizens to come. I know that the city asks people to come to a lot of meetings-that's because we have a lot of things happening in Grinnell - but this is important. We want to have people's input, so we hope they will come and see what we have done to this point."

For now, Brooke is based out of an office in the Grinnell Community Center and urges people with questions, suggestions, or "anything they'd like to discuss" to contact him at 641-990-0752.

"I'm looking forward to being involved in the community and giving something back, as the saying goes," Brooke says.

He and his wife, Sandi, office administrator at the First Baptist Church, have two grown daughters.

Brooke will be the ITM project's third executive director. The late Mark Hudson, who served as executive director of Imagine Grinnell until his death, also served as the original staff of the ITM project.