Nadean Lind Hamilton

Nadean Lind Hamilton is being honored because she exemplifies the very best of citizen participation. She is extremely dedicated to her community and to the principles of quality local government. Ms. Hamilton has donated endless hours of her time to local government and has been extremely effective in all of her work. She has obtained a great wealth of knowledge on how government works and more importantly how it might work better. "I have never seen a citizen more dedicated more widely knowledgable and more actively involved in local government" wrote the Des Moines city manager.

Ms. Hamilton's early education was in the Des Moines Public Schools. She received her bachelor's degree in 1948 from Drake University in Des Moines and did post-graduate work at the University of Iowa. During her career Ms. Hamilton has served as a board member of the League of Women Voters of Iowa and the Metropolitan Des Moines League Polk-Des Moines Taxpayers Association, the Salvation Army Advisory Board the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Federation the Drake Alumnae Association the American Association of University Women Des Moines Branch Teacher Corps Community Council and the Des Moines Civic Ballet Association. Her government appointments include the Metropolitan Planning Organization Wastewater Treatment Management Agency Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium Commonwealth Charter Commission Blue Ribbon Commission on Solid Waste Governor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Transportation Legislative Interim Committee on Transportation Committee on Aging and the Central Iowa Regional Association of Local Governments. The League of Women Voters founded by Carrie Chapman Catt has been of major importance and influence in Ms. Hamilton's life. As a member of the League of Women Voters she has served as President of the Metropolitan Des Moines League in 1973 and from 1978 to 1980.

Her League work includes co-chair of the Conference on Metropolitan Govemment (1974) co-chair of Cities: Yesterday Today and Tomorrow (1979-1980) and co-author of County Charter legislation Chapter 331 IA Code (1988). She also chaired studies on local government mental health state government solid waste management and the health care delivery system. Ms. Hamilton was the chair of the League of Women Voters of Iowa juvenile justice study.

Ms. Hamilton's others activities include coordinator of the Privatization Conference sponsored by the League of Women Voters Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and the Polk-Des Moines Taxpayers Association the vice-president of Public Services Research lnc. assistant director of the Roosevelt Center's "U.S. 88: A New Road to the White House" project and the director of the Presidential Election Project for the Roosevelt Center for American Policy Studies (1987-89). She has also been active in her church the Parent-Teacher Association the Des Moines Public Schools and the Iowa Dance Council. Ms. Hamilton and her husband David have three sons one daughter and five grandchildren.

Honors that have been bestowed upon Ms. Hamilton are "Outstanding Woman of the Year" from the Des Moines Jaycee Ettes "Alumni Hall of Fame" from North High School in Des Moines and the "Carrie Chapman Catt Cornerstone Award" from the League of Women Voters of Iowa. Ms. Hamilton has accomplished so much for her community -- she has made a difference and deserves recognition.

4/3/94