The City of Waukee uses the Mayor-Council form of government, which includes a mayor and an at-large city council comprised of five members, all with overlapping four-year terms of office. The Waukee City Council is responsible for the legislative function and overall vision of the City, which includes reviewing and approving the annual budget and City tax levy, ordering the construction of capital improvements, authorizing contracts, approving rezoning requests and more. The Waukee Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City, presiding over council meetings and signing or vetoing any action taken by the council. The mayor also represents the City as a member of many regional boards or at special events.
Learn more about the City of Waukee’s elected officials!
Mayor William F. “Bill” Peard
Mayor Bill Peard served two terms as a Waukee City Councilmember prior to becoming mayor in 2006; he is currently serving his fourth term in that role. He and his wife Lin
da have lived in Waukee for nearly 25 years, and he says they have enjoyed raising their two sons in such an amazing community. Mayor Peard holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and is the Executive Vice President of the Iowa Cable and Telecommunications Association. He presently serves on the boards of the Waukee Leadership Institute (which he co-founded), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) policy committee, the Metropolitan Advisory Council (MAC), the Iowa Public Information Board and Bravo Greater Des Moines. He can be found at nearly all City of Waukee functions—be sure to wave as he rides through the Fourth of July parade, lights the WinterFest tree, and more!
Councilmember Anna Bergman
Anna Bergman is a Waukee native and graduate. Her immediate family members still live in Waukee, and she resides in “Original Waukee” with her three dogs. Anna graduated from Drake University with a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration. She is an attorney and Director of Legal and Policy Services at the Iowa Association of School Boards. She owns a local horseback riding business as well – Bergman Riding Academy. Anna serves on the board for the Rotary Club of Waukee, the Waukee Area Historical Society and as board liaison to the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce. She also served on the inaugural board for Drew’s Crew, a non-profit that serves at-risk youth. She was a member of the Waukee Leadership Institute Class of 2017 and earned the President’s Award for leading the class on the Waukee Veterans Memorial project. Anna is a youth mentor with Community Youth Concepts and a volunteer with the Iowa Mock Trial Association & American Mock Trial Association.
Councilmember Charlie Bottenberg
Charlie Bottenberg has resided in Waukee with his wife and three children for more than a decade. He was appointed to the City Council in January 2017 and was elected to a new term in November’s election. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology from Drake University, an MBA from Iowa State University and a law degree from Drake University Law School. He operates a law firm in Waukee. Charlie served as Board Chair of the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce and on several other non-profit boards in the Waukee area. He says he enjoys working with his fellow Councilmembers to ensure Waukee maintains its hometown feel while also attracting new jobs and adding new amenities to the City.
Councilmember Courtney Clarke
Courtney Clarke was elected to her first term on the Waukee City Council during the November 2017 election. She, her husband and their four children moved to Waukee in 2009 because they were looking for a true “community” in which to raise their family. Courtney has earned bachelor’s degrees in business management, international business and French from Iowa State University. She is a member of the management team at an institutional investment firm where she oversees all business development and strategic planning efforts. Courtney is a governor-appointed board member of the Iowa Child Advocacy Board and a team leader for Love Lunches, a non-profit group that provides lunches to children and families over the summers. She looks forward to helping guide the City of Waukee toward solidifying a unique identity in the Des Moines Metro.
Councilmember Shelly Hughes
Shelly Hughes has served on the Waukee City Council since 2012. She has lived in Waukee for eight years with her husband Brian and their two sons. The couple chose to move to Waukee from out of state because they knew they wanted to raise their children in Iowa, and they found the best schools and best hometown potential in Waukee. Shelly studied communications and broadcast journalism in college. She operates 123, Eyes On Me Photography and also serves on the Metro Advisory Council, the Dallas County Housing Trust Board and as a key planner for BACooN Sizzles Waukee. Shelly volunteers at her sons’ schools, at her church and with various other charitable organizations. Her dreams for the community are to grow in a responsible way to broaden the commercial tax base, job options and amenities for citizens.
Councilmember Larry Lyon
Larry Lyon served a Waukee City Council term from 1998-2000 and is back in action for his second term. Between the two terms, he served for 11 years on the Waukee Community School District Board of Education. A resident of Waukee for more than 20 years, he and his wife Lori enjoyed raising their three sons here. Larry graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in business and communications. He started his businesses, Remodelworks! and Mr. Fix-It, in Waukee more than 20 years ago, and they are still going strong. Larry was the co-founder of the Waukee Leadership Institute, and he has been involved with the Dallas County Compensation Board and the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce. His hope for the City of Waukee is to provide staff with the tools needed to deliver excellent service and to foster innovation within the community.
Regular city council meetings are held the first and third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Waukee City Hall. Work sessions are often held on off-weeks so that elected officials and City staff can discuss current projects and issues in detail. Elected officials also hold annual goal-setting workshops to set legislative and administrative priorities for the City over the next year.
Have a question for the elected officials?
Email CouncilMembers@Waukee.org to reach all of them at once. A full directory of contact information can be found at www.Waukee.org.