Dave Stone

Advocacy officer
United Way of Central Iowa

Age: 39

Why he’s a Forty: Dave is a passionate leader and advocate for children, early childhood education and child care. His work on child care continues to drive the conversation forward on this critical workforce support. Dave volunteers as an IRS certified tax preparer with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to help lower-income individuals and families get quality tax assistance for free. During the first months of the pandemic, Dave served as a 211 resource referral specialist for Iowa’s COVID-19 hotline, beyond his regular position. He assisted individuals with COVID-19 information and testing resources and helped connect them with programs on housing, food assistance and unemployment. Dave is a local artist, focusing on long-exposure photography and landscapes. 

What are your goals in your role at your company? 

United Way of Central Iowa seeks to foster an equitable, engaged and empowered community. As advocacy officer, I lead our public policy efforts at the local, state and federal levels. We work to raise up Central Iowa families, through a focus on essential needs, education, financial stability and health. 

What are your goals for your community involvement? 

“Do good and live well” is my motto. My current focus is financial stability post-pandemic. I work with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to help individuals and families with their annual state and federal tax returns. Providing clarity, ensuring that they receive their full refund and helping reduce the costs of filing helps families stabilize.

What's your biggest passion, and why? 

Growing up in Chicago, I had limited opportunities to explore nature and the outdoors. Connecting with nature has been an important part of my personal growth. Truly exploring our public lands, wilderness and waterways grounds recharges me. It drives my passion to never stop exploring and never settle for less. 

What is it that drives you? 

I have overcome adversity in my own life that has led me to focus my career on helping others. It is my way of giving back to those who helped me on my journey. Knowing I have made a real impact for individuals, families and at a systems level drives me forward.  

What are your future aspirations? 

My hope is my journey is never complete, as we all evolve and change. I will continue to advocate on behalf of Iowa’s most vulnerable populations so that all families can thrive. I also started a small business in 2020 and intend to launch and expand this year.     

Three hobbies: 1. Outdoors – camping, hiking, mountain climbing, backpacking. Most weekends in the summer you’ll find me camping in the unexplored areas of Iowa or Colorado. I am an active mountaineer, backpacking the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, canoeing the Boundary Waters and kayaking many of Iowa’s waterways. My photography gear usually comes along for the ride. 2. Photography, from long-exposure night work to astrophotography, portraits and landscapes. I use a polar tracking mount, telescope, camera and computers to track and photograph galaxies and other astronomical targets. I received an honorable mention in the 2016 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon for some of my work. Instagram: @iowa_sky. 3. Fly fishing. Fly fishing in Iowa’s Driftless region and Colorado is both sport and meditation. It's a great way to connect with nature and explore pristine wilderness and waters. 

Fun fact: Dave is an avid mountain climber, bagging summits in Colorado. Some of these climbs have been grueling, including a two-day camp/climb of Long’s Peak (14,259-foot elevation) in Rocky Mountain National Park.

ONE word: Passionate.

What is your wish for the Central Iowa business community? 

Central Iowa is a great place. But for many in our community, this prosperity has not been equitable. We must work together to ensure all children and our most vulnerable are able to participate in all that Central Iowa offers.

Anything else you haven't addressed that people must know about you? 

I have an amazing border collie/Australian shepherd named Tycho.