Storm Lake Schedules First Meeting for Mayor’s New Civic Leadership Committee

Storm Lake Mayor Meg McKeon scheduled an orientation meeting for the Mayor’s Civic Leadership Advisory Committee at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Sunrise Pointe Golf Course clubhouse, and the session is intended for residents interested in serving on the new panel. The city’s announcement describes the Feb. 25 session as an introductory meeting for prospective members.

The committee was created by a resolution the Storm Lake City Council unanimously approved at its Jan. 19 meeting; the city posted a press release about the council action on Jan. 22, 2026. Mayor McKeon proposed the committee during the Jan. 19 meeting and will serve as the committee’s chair.

City documents and the resolution language frame the group’s mandate to broaden civic engagement and to cultivate a pipeline of community leaders. The committee is charged to provide guidance and suggestions to the mayor on community needs, civic engagement, and future leadership development, and to play a role in long-range visioning for Storm Lake’s priorities and opportunities over the next decade and beyond. City materials emphasize the committee is intended to create a space where residents who may be hesitant to run for office or speak at public meetings can still contribute ideas.

Membership and operating details released by the city specify nine members representing a range of community perspectives. Members will serve staggered three-year terms, and one city staff member appointed by City Manager Keri Navratil will participate as an ex-officio member. The city says that once the committee is fully formed it is expected to meet at least quarterly.

The new committee arrives amid recent changes at City Hall. Meg McKeon began her term as mayor on Jan. 1, 2026, following her November 2024 election that unseated former Mayor Mike Porsch; McKeon’s mayoral term runs through December 2029. Council adjustments tied to McKeon’s transition include the unanimous appointment of Matt Ricklefs to fill McKeon’s vacated council seat with a term ending December 2027, and Mayor McKeon’s nomination of Councilperson Maggie Martinez to the Lake Improvement Commission, where McKeon, who served on the commission as a council member, will continue to serve as mayor. Councilmembers Maria Ramos and Don Piercy Jr. continue terms expiring December 2027, and Richard Riner’s four-year term runs through December 2029.

The city’s announcement and press release note the Feb. 25 meeting begins at 5:15 p.m. at the Sunrise Pointe Golf Course clubhouse and will serve as an orientation for prospective members of the nine-member advisory committee. For more information, Storm Lake City Hall lists mailing address P.O. Box 1086, 620 Erie Street, Storm Lake, IA 50588, and phone 712-732-8000.