About Chris

Bloomfield is my home of choice. I've lived in Davis County since 2000 and in Bloomfield since 2001, raised my family here, and worked with our community to bring in resources that make a real difference. I believe small towns win through partnerships — pooling our creative, technical, and financial strengths.

Where I Come From

Growing up, I didn't have a hometown. My father was a United Methodist minister, so we moved around a lot through my younger years. I attended three different school districts in Iowa from K-12: Cumberland-Massena (now CAM), West Liberty, and Des Moines Public Schools, graduating from Des Moines Lincoln.

That experience of moving taught me how to adapt, but it also taught me what I was looking for in a community. When I had the chance to choose where to put down roots, I chose Davis County.

The Moment That Shaped My Leadership

When I was 10 years old living in Nichols, Iowa — a town of about 300 people — we didn't have a park. My parents and a few others started the Nichols Community Club, and they invited youth to be members. At 10, I was a founding member. We sat at the same table as adults, our input was listened to, and we voted.

That cemented two ideas I carry today: everyone has gifts to share, and youth deserve a seat at the table. It also taught me that we need to be participants in our community, not just observers.

Education and Early Career

I earned both a BS and MS in Forestry (Natural Resource Economics) from Iowa State University. After college, I moved to New Hampshire for about five years. Then my ex-wife Miriam and I chose to move to Davis County in 2000 to raise our family.

Why I Chose Bloomfield

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Bloomfield was how people treated my kids. They didn't just stop to talk to me — they stopped to talk to my children, as if they were important too. That's not something I saw everywhere else. It told me right away this is a community that values people, and that's why I want to serve it.

My Family

My wife Jennifer (Hopwood) Ball grew up in Pulaski and has lived in Davis County all her life. Three of my children — Julianna, Simon, and Jack — attended Davis County Community Schools from K-12. Julianna and Simon earned bachelor degrees from Iowa State University. Jack received a bachelor degree from the University of Iowa.

Julianna teaches in Ottumwa. Simon is in the process of moving to Puerto Rico. Jack is managing a "Pay it Forward" cafe in Cedar Rapids. My youngest daughter, Amelia, is currently in 8th grade at Davis County Middle School.

How I Approach Leadership

In rural places we have limited people and resources. If we segregate into groups, we'll accomplish less. We're better when we pool our creative, technical, and financial resources. That's how we get things done here, and that's how I think about leadership — it's not one person with all the answers, it's partnerships that make us stronger.

I learned early on that you don't just hope things get better — you roll up your sleeves and work with others to make them better. Whether it was helping start the Davis County Community Foundation, revitalizing downtown through Main Street partnerships, or writing grants to bring AmeriCorps members to Bloomfield, I've always believed in practical solutions that bring people together.

Professional Work

Through my company Terenc, I help rural communities and businesses be more resilient and energy efficient. I'm under contract with Iowa State University to assist in bringing electric resilience workshops to communities throughout Iowa. I also work with the Iowa Economic Development Authority to help rural Iowa businesses apply for USDA energy efficiency grants.

This work has taught me how to navigate state and federal funding opportunities, how to write successful grant applications, and how to help communities identify their priorities and pursue practical solutions.

State Recognition

Governor Reynolds appointed me to the Governor's Empower Rural Iowa Initiative executive committee, where I served for three years. I also served on the Iowa Broadband Grant review committee for three years. These experiences gave me insight into how state government works and how rural communities can better access available resources.

Community Service

When I moved to Bloomfield, I didn't know a lot of people, but I wanted to help my new community in any way I could. I've served on multiple boards over the years:

Davis County Development Corporation (Treasurer and President)
Bloomfield Main Street (Vice President and President)
Davis County Community Foundation (founding board member)
Davis County Hospital Trustees

Each of these roles taught me something different about how to build partnerships, manage resources, and get things done.

What Drives Me

I'm running for mayor because I believe our best days are ahead of us. We've proven what's possible when we work together — just look around the square. But we're just getting started.

Every person that leaves town and every business that gets smaller means the rest of us have to pay more. That's why I focus on creating opportunities for the future — increasing our population, fostering business growth, and making investments that help us all thrive.

Of course we need to make sure we can pay for things. We also need to review current practices to make sure we're getting the most bang for the buck. But there are also investments we must make to ensure we're creating opportunities for the next generation.

That's practical leadership. That's building partnerships that work. That's the kind of mayor I want to be.