Newsletter: December 1999 - Ed Malloy Appointed to Iowa GovernorÕs Strategic Planning Council

December 1999

Ed Malloy Appointed to Iowa Governor’s Strategic Planning Council

Ed Malloy, chair of the Natural Law Party of Iowa, was recently hand-picked by Iowa’s Governor Tom Vilsack to join the Governor’s Strategic Planning Council, a 37-member nonpartisan advisory group composed of Iowa’s leaders and charged with setting new public policy directions for Iowa’s future. Mr. Malloy is President of Danaher Oil in Fairfield, Iowa, and a member of the Fairfield city council. Below he discusses his new responsibilities.

NLP News: What’s the role of the Governor’s Strategic Planning Council?

Ed Malloy: Governor Vilsack charged the Council to create a strategic plan that will strengthen Iowa for the year 2010, building on Iowa’s present strengths, but considering every issue openly while boldly pursuing new ideas and new solutions. Given this focus on solutions, the governor especially wanted the Natural Law Party to be represented on the Council.

NLP News: What suggestions have you made to the Council so far?

Ed Malloy: I’m Co-Chair of the Council’s Natural Resources working group, which makes recommendations regarding Iowa’s air, water, and soil quality, energy usage, and land and waste management. I’ve suggested that Iowa should become the first farm state in the nation to grow and produce all its produce organically in order to capture the emerging safe food market and safeguard the quality of our soil and water.

NLP News: How will the Council develop these proposals? What’s the next step?

Ed Malloy: Since the Council’s inception a few months ago, each working group within it—Development, Community, People, and Natural Resources—has created a vision statement for its area of responsibility. But the Governor wants the whole process to be an open dialogue with the people of Iowa, so Council members will now bring these ideas to 15 town meetings across the state in order to get wide-ranging feedback from the people.

NLP News: What can Natural Law Party supporters do to help you and the Council achieve your goals?

Ed Malloy: I’d ask everyone to think deeply about how the Natural Law Party’s principles and programs can benefit Iowa, and to bring us your suggestions in ways that can be practically supported. Our working documents are available on the Internet at www.iowa2010.state.ia.us. I’d be happy to take your suggestions as well; just email me at emalloy@danaheroil.com.