[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 23 (Friday, February 4, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E114-E115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING JOHN LUND AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 4, 2022

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor John Lund, the City 
Administrator for Atlantic, as Iowan of the Week. John's dedication to 
the residents of Atlantic and securing federal grants to meet the needs 
of Atlantic residents is the type of hard work that deserves 
recognition.
  City administrators are not someone most folks spend a lot of time 
thinking about--who is the person paying the bills, focusing on margins 
and distributions, and submitting grant applications? But that's what 
John does for residents of Atlantic. He says he loves the budgeting 
process and getting to see his community grow day by day.
  John is a lifelong Iowan; he was born in Johnston, attended Cornell 
College in Mount

[[Page E115]]

Vernon for his Bachelors, then got his Masters degree from Drake in Des 
Moines. After graduating, he began his public service career in the 
Iowa State Legislature, working as assistant to State Senator Pat 
Grassley.
  John's been hard at work in the last eight years. He's helped respond 
to flooding in his community, solve budget needs, and meet the 
challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic head-on. He knows that Atlantic 
faces the same obstacles that rural communities across the country are 
facing. The landscape of business is changing, he says, and he knows we 
need to ensure that communities like his have a fair, fighting chance.
  Currently, John is helping Atlantic receive new federal money for 
projects across Iowa. He is helping bring taxpayer dollars back to his 
community, helping Atlantic apply for critical funds to repair roads 
and bridges, receive COVID-19 relief, develop high-speed internet, and 
much more. John says that getting the funds will make a significant 
difference for everyone, from improving their ability to do business, 
preserving habitats for generations to come, and increasing property 
values.
  John has been instrumental in advocating for repairs to Atlantic's 
water supply. Fixing pipes and updating systems isn't front-page news, 
but it is incredibly important. Not only will getting these fixes help 
to ensure the health and safety of Atlantic residents, but it will 
create jobs and keep Atlantic as a great place to raise family, run a 
business, and live the American dream. John also helped the city secure 
USDA funding to build a new animal shelter opening this spring.
  I'm proud to have voted for the legislation that creates these grants 
programs and invests tax dollars back into our communities. The 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will bring more than $5 billion 
dollars to Iowa. John, and city administrators around Iowa, have the 
important task of applying for these grants.
  John wants to make sure that he can help as many folks solve their 
problems as he can. He's grateful for the dedication of Mayor Grace 
Garrett and the Atlantic City Council, whose leadership and vision 
makes his work possible. And John is proud to work alongside so many 
dedicated public servants who can ``breathe life back into a project'' 
when things are stuck, like Parks Director Bryant Rasmussen.
  John's work is vital to bringing new federal funds to our 
communities, and that is why I'm honored to name John Lund as Iowan of 
the Week.

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