It’s not hard to see why Cady Gerlach is so widely admired in her circles. With a large dose of humor to go with her good-natured, easy-going personality, she has a way of making strangers feel like old friends — as if you’re picking up a conversation that’s been going on for years. It’s a […]
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Click here to purchase a paywall bypass linkIt’s not hard to see why Cady Gerlach is so widely admired in her circles. With a large dose of humor to go with her good-natured, easy-going personality, she has a way of making strangers feel like old friends — as if you’re picking up a conversation that’s been going on for years.
It’s a trait that has helped her connect people with each other, reaching across divides to foster collaboration and strengthen the fabric of the Iowa City community.
“What truly sets Cady apart is not just her expertise, but the way she engages and uplifts those around her. Her enthusiasm for community development is infectious, and she has a remarkable ability to bring people together by making them feel valued, inspired and empowered,” wrote Nancy Bird, CEO and president of Greater Iowa City, Inc., in her nomination letter.
Ms. Gerlach, executive director of Better Together 2030 and senior community development director with Greater Iowa City, Inc., has called Iowa City home since 2013, after earning a joint master’s degree in public administration and JD from Syracuse University.
She’s called many other places home over the years as well: her hometown of Greeley, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Wisconsin; New York; and Mongolia, during a stint with the Peace Corps.
Prior to her role with Greater Iowa City and Better Together, she was director of strategic operations and resource management with Shelter House, where she was pivotal in launching Cross Park Place, Iowa’s first Housing First complex.
“I enjoy working on projects and initiatives that people don’t think are possible,” Ms. Gerlach said. “I like helping people see the possibilities and see themselves in the possibilities. I like helping people find solutions. That’s why I became a lawyer — it’s helping people solve their problems.”
Driven by a strong sense of civic responsibility, she volunteers her legal expertise with the Iowa City Downtown District and South of 6 Iowa City Business District, in addition to supporting efforts that promote economic development, improve access to childcare, and address housing shortages.
In 2020, she guided development of the All In Vision Plan, a comprehensive roadmap to address generational poverty and foster economic and social growth through strategic collaboration within Johnson County. Through that effort, she successfully brought several local organizations together in a seamless collaboration.
Describing her leadership style as one of “radical candor,” Ms. Gerlach emphasized the importance of speaking directly with a dose of compassion.
“You care deeply, but you are also very clear about what your expectations are,” she said. “I also really try to be a servant leader, where I have to be willing to do it myself. I feel like that might be how I bring people along, by working alongside them and teaching people in that way, in terms of ways of leading.”
As far back as middle school, Ms. Gerlach had the makings of a leader. She was student council president and participated in speech and debate forensics, in addition to soccer and swim team. She started her first website and made the newspaper in eighth grade for launching a food drive, raising one million canned goods for local food pantries.
“I don’t know which adults instilled that internal voice in me growing up, but that’s what happened. I never thought, ‘I can’t do that.’ I guess I’ve never had that thought,” she said of her drive and confidence. And with age, comes wisdom.
“I feel like I’ve kind of started figuring some things out. I’m comfortable with who I am. I’m used to myself — I know how I’m going to react. I’m just in a much more calm, present space of acceptance of who I am, what I can offer and where my limitations are,” she said.
Her advice for upcoming community leaders is to keep a growth mindset and not fear failure.
“Other than putting yourself out there, trying is never a mistake,” Ms. Gerlach asserted. “The worst thing that happens is you fail. (Having a) growth mindset is definitely how I try to work through things. It’s OK to fail. It’s OK. That’s how we learn.”
When not working or volunteering, Ms. Gerlach can be found spending down time with her family: husband, Peter; sons Max, eight, Leo, seven, and her dog, a red lab named Ulzii.
