URBANDALE, IA — The Urbandale Chamber of Commerce annually reviews nominations to select a resident to receive the prestigious Citizen of the Year award. The award is given to the selected citizen during the organization’s annual Sample Urbandale, A Celebration of Business event. This year’s award was given to Pat Boddy, a dedicated and influential volunteer for the Urbandale community.
Pat says she is retired, but you would never know it if you followed her around for a day or two.
A licensed professional engineer, Pat did retire as a Senior Partner at RDG Planning and Design in 2019, after a long career in leadership in private business and government. She established her own consulting business in Urbandale where her company, 900Views LLC, is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
But her main focus continues to be public service.
As immediate past chair of the Great Outdoors Foundation and a member of the ICON Executive Committee, Pat is playing a key role in the development of the $120 million Central Iowa Water Trails project which will connect central Iowans and visitors to a high energy playground for kayaking, rafting and paddling rivers and streams throughout the region.
She also serves on a number of Urbandale boards and commissions, including the Urbandale Water Utility, the Urbandale Capital Improvements Committee, and the Urbandale Complete Streets Committee. With her background as former interim DNR Director, and Polk County Conservation Director, Pat has also informally advised the Urbandale Parks Department on a number of different projects.
Pat is also active in efforts to promote renewable energy initiatives in Urbandale.
These are just some of the latest examples of her commitment to public service. Her work in the metro area stretches back decades, as outlined below. She was named a “Woman of Influence” by the Des Moines Business Record in 2015 and given the A. Arthur Davis Leadership Award in 2018 by the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.
But Pat does more than lend her leadership skills to boards and commissions. She is very hands on. Over the years, she has traveled to New Orleans, Cedar Rapids, Bahamas and Guatemala for storm recovery work and to assist on medical missions. On Earth Day, you can find her in her hip waders, helping her former colleagues at RDG Planning and Design, or the neighborhood kids, carry trash out of North Walnut Creek. She is adept at setting up tables and chairs for the Des Moines Scrabble Club where she ran a Midwest tournament for many years. Her greatest joy at the moment is juggling zoom meetings while caring for her new grandson, Jack.
Pat will receive his award on November 10, 2022 at Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites during the 2022 Sample Urbandale, A Celebration of Business event. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased through the Chamber website: www.uniquelyurbandale.com. The event includes live music from Andrew Hoyt, food sampling from area restaurants and caterers, beverages from WineStyles and Foundry Distilling, silent auction and award ceremonies for Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Young Professional of the Year, Connector of the Year and “Best in Class” awards.
The Urbandale Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based business organization that serves its membership and business community by promoting economic development, business growth and a high quality of life.