At-Large City Council Members  

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Please scroll down to meet all three At-Large City Council members or click on one of the following names for specific information about each member.

 

 

Photo of Ann Poe, Cedar Rapids City Council Member

Ann Poe

At-Large City Council Member

Biographical information will be available soon.

 

Photo of Don Karr, Cedar Rapids City Council Member

Don Karr

At-Large City Council Member

I was born in Cedar Rapids. I am a 1964 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School. I attended Kirkwood College from 1966 to 1967.

I worked for Local 234 as an operating engineer. I started Wheeler Dealer magazine and Midwest Gallery and Framing. I started Prairie Valley Publishing and published books and limited edition art, one book was a pictorial history of Cedar Rapids called “Images of Cedar Rapids”.

In 1988, I started Affordable Plumbing and Remodeling. After the flood of 2008 devastated my business, I helped start the Small Business Flood Recovery Group. I was inspired by the flood to run for city council and became an At-Large Cedar Rapids City Council member in January 2010.

I have been married to my best friend for 40 years. I have five children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. I spend my personal time with family, trout fishing, gardening and the arts. 

 

Photo of Chuck Swore, Cedar Rapids City Council Member

Chuck Swore

At-Large City Council Member

Chuck Swore traces his roots on the West side back 66 years to 5th St. N.W. where he grew up.  He has resided on the West side all of his adult life.  He spends his days as a self employed consultant through CRS Small Business Services.  Chuck started this business the day he retired from Acme Electric Co. in 2008.  He was elected Business Manager of IBEW Local 405 in 1972 and returned to Acme after resigning in 1977.  Through these employment terms Chuck has been involved both professionally and personally in many City projects.

Chuck resides in Cedar Rapids with his wife, Carol, and is excited to celebrate his 49th wedding anniversary this fall.  Both Chuck and Carol graduated from Jefferson High School and raised their four children through the Cedar Rapids Public School System where they also graduated from Jefferson.  Chuck was inducted into the Jefferson High School Hall of Fame in 2008.  Both Chuck and Carol spend much of their time with their 16 grandchildren. 

Chuck has been an active community leader for his entire adult life and presently serves on the City Council and was a member of the City Planning Commission prior to his election.  Over the years he has served on the Airport Zoning Commission, Co-Chair of the Five Seasons Center Bond Issue, Cedar Rapids Hospital Council, Linn County Psychiatric Clinic Board, and the Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau.  He also served 23 years as the Chairman of the Five Seasons Facilities Commission.

Chuck's volunteerism has been seen in a number of non-profit boards he has served on including Ellis and Metro YMCA, Boy's and Girl's Club, Ellis Neighborhood Community Center, Big Brothers Board, Junior Achievement, and the United Way.  He currently serves as a member of the Boy Scouts Executive Committee.

Chuck and Carol are also active members of Stonebridge Evangelical Free Church.

Chuck's leadership also extends into the business community where he served as a trustee for the Pension, H&W, and Training Trusts for the Cedar Rapids division of National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and IBEW 405. Chuck has been twice awarded the statewide Industry Leader of the year recognition.

Past service includes officer roles at the local and state levels for the NECA, 3 years on the Council of Industrial Relations (CIR) for the electrical contracting industry in Washington D.C., and past president of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City Building and Trades Council.  Currently he is a member of the Small Business Recovery Group, the Developers Council and Cedar Rapids Home Builders Association.

Chuck served as one of the Co-Chairs of the Home Rule Group that supported and campaigned for the change in our form of government.

He has confidence in our city government's new direction and welcomes the opportunity to be serving you as an at large City Council member.