‘It’s my turn to give back to you’

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Community Development office has a familiar face joining its ranks.

Emily Garden is the new events coordinator and started working in the position full time Tuesday, Dec. 19.

Garden grew up in Charles City.

“When I was interviewing for this position, one of the things they asked me was, ‘Why should we hire you?’ and I said, ‘because it’s my turn to give back to you,'” Garden said. “Each one of you specifically gave some to me growing up to make me who I am today.”

She didn’t get to her position alone, Garden said.

Garden is a proud Lincoln Elementary School graduate. She attended middle school at the North Grand Building, and graduated from Charles City High School in 2013.

“I can tell you every classroom that I sat in,” Garden said. “When I graduated high school I counted up (and determined) that I had seven free hours a week.”

She was very involved in music during her time as a student, and involved in several sports including cross country and tennis, and was a member of student council.

“I just loved to give up my time,” Garden said with a smile on her face.

After high school Garden attended the University of Iowa where she majored in enterprise leadership.

During that time she married Brady Garden. He lived in Charles City during her time in college.

“I was going on this new adventure, but I also had somebody I really cared about back in my hometown,” Garden said. “I was in Iowa City for two or three weeks at a time and then I’d pop back here for a weekend.”

She said it was an adjustment to walk down the streets in Iowa City and not know every store owner.

In Charles City she knows someone she could stop in and talk to on every block, and get help if she had a flat tire, for example, she said.

By the time Garden left Iowa City she had made it her own small town.

“We had our own little community on the North side,” Garden said. “We made it our own local community.”

Garden graduated from the University of Iowa on Dec. 16. Prior to that she had been working at the Community Development office in her current position, but part-time.

“This is a place where I can come and be creative with my degree,” Garden said. “I can use my leadership skills with all the different committees and I can help other people experience community.

“That’s what Charles City is, it’s not one person doing anything alone,” Garden said. “It’s your high school teachers, it’s your middle school teachers, your church members and community members, all these people coming around you and standing behind you.”

That idea of community is what the Charles City Chamber of Commerce does as well, Garden said.

A lot of the work that goes into the events throughout the year is done by committees, Garden said.

“The city of Charles City is community to me, and that’s what draws me back every time,” Garden said.

Garden and her husband closed on their house on Dec. 1.

“Not only am I experiencing a new job, but we’re experience our first home together,” Garden said.

Garden will help put on upcoming events in Charles City, including the New Year’s Eve Bash on Dec. 31 at the Floyd County Youth Enrichment Center at the fairgrounds.

In her position she’ll be working with the Charles City Chamber of Commerce and Community Revitalization on events around the community.

“We can put Party in the Park on, and your neighbors and your friends and your family can all go down to the park and you can have community there,” Garden said. “We can see families bond and watch you all grow together and that’s amazing.”