Beyond Promises

by Ron Corbett, Rick Smith (With)

"Beyond Promises" is a memoir of sorts by Ron Corbett, who became the youngest speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives and who now is finishing up his eighth year as mayor of Iowa's second largest city, Cedar Rapids. In the late 1990s, Corbett was considered a possible Republican candidate for Congress or governor. Then he surprised many and resigned from the Legislature so he wouldn't have to spend so much time away from home and his growing family. He headed the local Chamber of Commerce for six years, a period in which he led a community campaign to rebuild schools, another to redevelop the Cedar Rapids riverfront and a third that brought professional management to Cedar Rapids city government. Corbett's tenure as Cedar Rapids mayor coincided with the city's recovery from a devastating flood in 2008, the costliest natural disaster in Iowa history. Can someone who was a leading Republican voice in much of Iowa reclaim statewide prominence and be elected governor? In 2017, that's the elephant in the room-the unstated question lingering in the backdrop of "Beyond Promises." This book is Corbett's first-person account of where he came from and what shaped him, as well as a chronicle of doing, not simply promising.

228 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2017

Reviews

[Andrea Schoenbeck · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright, but really for a very limited audience.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ron Corbett gave me this book that he wrote, Beyond Promises, at the Iowa State Fair in 2017. I do admire the leadership he demonstrated during and after the 2008 Cedar Rapids flood. I have special interest in that community as my daughter and her spouse live downtown and bought a home through the ROOTS program designed to revitalize the downtown area that was wiped out by that “100 year flood”.

In 2016, Cedar Rapids ended up experiencing a repeat of that flood that wasn’t supposed to occur again for another 100 years. THIS time, I personally witnessed the coming together of a community to protect their homes and those of their neighbors. My daughter would not evacuate until every single neighbor had been assisted, to the best of their resources, with sandbags, etc. Rob led the city AGAIN during this scary, dangerous time. I lived for his daily press conferences. Thankfully the emergency multimillion dollar flood protection system was immediately installed and while flooding occurred, it did not wipe out the entire downtown. It was the second highest water level recorded in Cedar Rapid’s history. Thank you Ron for prioritizing this vital protocol.

It is no surprise to me that Ron Corbett is running for governor in the state of Iowa in the next election. His love for Iowa, and his leadership will carry this state far. Read Beyond Promises and you will discover Ron Corbett, and perhaps see what I see, a man of integrity that we are so lacking in our culture today.