" To empower Iowa women to exercise their rights, engage in public discourse, and make their voices heard at all levels of government. "

idpwomenscaucus@gmail.com

Campaign 101

For women of Iowa’s 2nd and 4th Congressional Districts and beyond who are exploring a run for office or helping with a campaign.

Features

Women Who Made A Difference

Zoom Sessions

Letters To The Editor

Women Defying Boundaries

WHY I AM A DEMOCRAT

Books Of Interest

Lovely One

Ketanji Brown Jackson

How We Learn To Be Brave

Mariann Budde

The Upswing

Robert D. Putnam

Podcasts

Iowa Congressional Districts

Resources

THINKING OF RUNNING FOR A PUBLIC SERVICE POSITION?

Events

Iowa Democratic Women's Caucus Officers and Board

chair

Jo Vetter

Jovetter.demwomen@gmail.com

  • Manson (Calhoun County)

Jo Vetter is a High Performance Life Coach, educator, and professional actor. Having lived and performed in Seattle and New York City for over 30 years, she moved back to Iowa in 2000 and now lives in Manson where she was born and raised on a dairy farm. Jo is dedicated to the principles of the Democratic Party and the mission of the Iowa Democratic Women’s Caucus to amplify the voices of women in Iowa by electing them to public office and securing their rights. She prioritizes the health of all living beings, including our planet.

VICE CHAIR

Nedra Conrad

nc11201950@gmail.com

  • Fort Dodge (Webster County)

Nedra is from Fort Dodge and has served as the Webster County Democratic Treasurer for more than five years. She has three grown children, two of whom ran for local office and won. She retired from MidAmerican Energy where she served as the Fort Dodge Customer Office and Meter Reading Supervisor encompassing the area from Gowrie to Algona, and Clarion to Gilmore City.

Secretary

Barb Wheelock

bjwheels@gmail.com

  • Ames (Story County)

Barb Wheelock lives in Ames and is a retired physical therapist. She is active with the Story
County Democrats and helped organize and was active in All 39, a grassroots activist group working to promote Democratic candidates and democratic values in the fourth congressional district. She has worked on campaigns for candidate for hospital board, county supervisor, house representatives, and congress. She also serves on the board for the League of Women Voters Ames & Story County.

Treasurer

Susan Stoefen

susanstoefen@fbcom.net

  • New Liberty (Scott County)

Susan (she/her) lives in rural Scott County, near New Liberty. She is married to Jerry, a retired union plumber/pipefitter. They have two sons, and two grandchildren. Susan is a retired accountant. Growing up on a farm, she learned hard work and hard times during the farm crisis. In 2000, Jerry and Susan fulfilled a dream to move out to the country when they purchased the property they currently live on. The couple has been returning the land to prairie, wetlands, and an oak savanna using conservation practices. Susan is the Treasurer and member of the Executive Board for the Scott County Democratic Party. She is an active member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI).  Jerry and Susan enjoy fishing, bicycling, hiking, gardening, and visiting family. Susan is passionately working to make Iowa a place that everyone feels accepted, loved, and able to live their best life.

social media/communications coordinator

Eileen Beran

eileen.beran@gmail.com

  • Kalona (Washington County)

Eileen became interested in policy-level change when volunteering with a food rescue nonprofit, because she saw needs and wanted to help address them at the root. Her 2022 run for Iowa House didn’t result in a win, but she went on to manage a House campaign in her district in 2024 and then won her bid for City Council in 2025. Through involvement in the Women ‘s Caucus, she hopes to encourage and empower Iowa women to run for office and become campaign volunteers. 

Currently retired, during her career Eileen was a writer, editor, graphic artist, and coordinator with a PhD program at the University of Iowa. Her bachelor’s degree in English Literature is  from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she lived until 2000. She and her husband Bill have a son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons in nearby Iowa City. 

chair emerita

Mary Weaver

mweaver235@gmail.com

  • Rippey (Boone County)

Mary Weaver was longtime Chair of the Democratic Iowa Women’s Caucus. She ran for this office to provide a training ground and opportunities for women to use their voice to advance issues that are needed values for all Iowans. 

Mary is a retired public health nurse/administrator. She and her husband live on a farm in central Iowa near Rippey. She has two adult children and three grandchildren.

board member - congressional district 1

Mary Melchert

mpmelchert62@gmail.com

  • Monticello (Jones County)

Mary Melchert is a retired educator/administrator from Jones County. She lives in Monticello  (pop. 4000) in a rural Class 2A school district. She has been active with the Jones County Democrats for some years, but in the past five years served as Vice Chair and a Central Committee member. She is a commissioner on the Jones County Soil and Water District Board.  Recently, with another retired educator Mary co-founded a nonprofit, the Jones County Migrant Inclusion Group. The organization serves adult migrant farm workers with healthcare, ESL classes, citizenship classes, and financial literacy. She was married in 1991 and has three grandchildren, with two more (both girls!) on the way, due in late July and August of 2026

board member - congressional district 1

Shannon Starch

shannonstarch@gmail.com

  • North Liberty (Johnson County)

Profile To Come

Board member - congressional district 2

Johanna Bergan

johannabergan@gmail.com

  • Decorah (Winneshiek County)

Johanna Bergan, she/her, is from Decorah. A native Iowan, she is deeply invested in building sustainable community and empowering women to lead. During the day she works at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work focusing on systems change in youth-serving systems (child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health). Johanna operates an LLC offering training in adaptive leadership and change management. In other areas of life Johanna serves on the Decorah City Council and is an active volunteer for many organizations, the mother of two teens, and a lover of cats, reading, and knitting.

board member - congressional district 3

Lorinda Inman

Lorinda.inman@gmail.com

  • Adel (Dallas County)

Profile To Come

board member - congressional district 3

Marti Mefferd

martimefferd@gmail.com

  • Chariton (Lucas County)

Marti Mefferd is married with five children, one deceased, between her and her husband. She’s a retired special education teacher with 16 years in the Chariton Schools. Husband Jim still practices law.  Before her marriage, Marti was born and raised in Centerville. She and Jim are avid Iowa State fans but turned in their season tickets two years ago, and now they are big TV fans, but she does miss being at Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum.

Marti was active in the Republican Party during 1996 elections, but…upon reading the platform she found, “it was not me!” and she voted for Tom Vilsak. She has been active with Lucas County Democrats since 2016, where she was Secretary for two terms and Chair for two terms. 

Her goal is to further educate herself in aspects of government and politics and to use those skills in assisting others to become strong Democratic women. Marti says, “I have a lot to learn, but I am ready! “

Board member - congressional district 4

Linda Santi

lindasanti@hotmail.com

  • Sioux City (Woodbury County)
Linda Santi
Linda Santi is happy to be back in her hometown of Sioux City where she works with the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System in planning and development, including creating the Winnebago Health Foundation.  Volunteer work includes the League of Women Voters Sioux City, the Northwest Iowa Group of the Sierra Club, the Sioux City NAACP Branch, Siouxland Progressive Women, and Siouxland Chamber Legislative Committee.  Linda is a past Vice Chair of the Woodbury County Democratic Central Committee and a part-time on-air announcer for local public radio station Siouxland Public Media. 

In past lives, Linda worked for the Iowa Senate Democratic Caucus, was Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Coordination for the City of New Orleans, was active in rebuilding the New Orleans Public Library system after the 2005 federal floods/levee failures, and served in community development roles, including CEO at Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans. She has organized many voter registration drives and get-out-the-vote efforts, and has managed local and statewide policy and candidate campaigns
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