Since 2016, Quentin Hart has served as the mayor of Waterloo. On Oct. 25, in the Gallagher Bluedorn, Hart will be giving his TEDx speech, which will touch on how bridging divides in communities can build strong futures.
Hart is an alumnus of the University of Northern Iowa – holding a master’s in post-secondary education, with an emphasis in student affairs. Mayor Hart’s wife, Cassandra Hart, earned her master’s from UNI as well. Cassandra is the principal at Kittrell Elementary, which is a part of the Waterloo community school district. The pair is actively involved in the community in which they reside and serve.
Hart was born and raised in Waterloo and started his own family here in the Cedar Valley. His parents moved to Iowa from Mississippi many years ago – and they worked, raised a family and made Waterloo their home.
Before making his bid as the mayor of Waterloo, Hart was the associate director of multicultural affairs for Hawkeye Community College, where he promoted awareness and appreciation for diversity on campus.
Alongside his position at Hawkeye, Hart represented constituents of Waterloo as Ward 4 councilman from 2008 until 2016. Mayor Hart is the first African American-appointed mayor of Waterloo.
Hart said in an interview,
Of the over 60,000 residents, 17% are African American. Waterloo’s Latino, Congolese, and Burmese communities are growing. In the Waterloo community school district, 45 languages are spoken among the over 10,000 students.
When Mayor Hart was elected as the mayor of Waterloo, he recalls feeling pride and joy. “I started to think about the possibilities,” Hart added. “And, also, some of the historical challenges we’ve had within our community.”
Parts of Waterloo with higher-income housing have prospered in Hart’s time as mayor. But there are other sides of the community that haven’t progressed as quickly, due to a wide range of economic and social aspects.
One of Hart’s TEDx inspirations was the biblical story of Nehemiah. In this passage, the Babylonians destroyed the wall of Jerusalem, which left the citizens of Jerusalem unprotected from potential threats. Nehemiah, who is known as a “Jewish cupbearer” in the Bible, prayed for guidance and rebuilt the wall in 52 days. The reconstruction of the wall marked the return of city pride in the Jewish community.
Hart explained, “I’ll take those universal lessons of the story of Nehemiah, and apply that to how I chose to lead our community.”
Part of Hart’s TEDx speech will discuss how he has built his own bridges, similar to Nehemiah’s wall, in the 9 years he has spent as the mayor of Waterloo.
“If you’re going to build bridges, what type of bridges are you going to build?” Hart said. “What type of walls are you going to build in your life, for your community?”
Hart thought deeply about the divides that Waterloo experiences. He asked himself, “How can I be a bridge builder with this opportunity in history?”
As a Waterloo native, Hart remembers going to football games at the UNI-Dome, as well as seeing various performances in the Gallagher Bluedorn. While Hart noted that he isn’t necessarily a theatrical performer by any means, he’s looking forward to chatting with his community and the world from the stage of GBPAC.
Hart exclaimed, “It’s an incredible honor, and a tremendous opportunity to give a TEDx presentation.”
Not only is it substantial for Hart to be giving a speech at his alma mater, but Hart also recognizes the importance of the sesquicentennial year. The theme of TEDxUNI is “Creating Tomorrow,” which Hart is highly experienced in – with his positions in leadership, Hart knows what it takes to create a strong community that looks forward to the future.
“150 years from now, they’ll look back at the TEDx,” Hart added. “It’s a pretty amazing deal.”
For Hart’s personal TEDxUNI preparation, he notes how practice makes perfect – especially for large presentations such as TEDx. Though, as the mayor of a large city, Hart often has his schedule booked with events or meetings to attend.
Currently, Waterloo is gearing up for a school board and mayoral election. Election day is on Nov. 4 – meaning it is just around the corner for voters. Four candidates are running for Waterloo mayor: Dave Boesen, Matthew C Gardner, Gary Hall and incumbent Quentin Hart. The candidate elected will serve a two-year term.
Hart has worked to find a work-life balance amidst this hectic series of events – ensuring that he still has time to campaign, all while feeling prepared for his TEDx presentation. Hart is personally managing the role of mayor while running for mayor, all while ingraining a substantial presentation into his mind.
“Sometimes I have to leave and go do some campaign things,” said Hart. “It is a real challenge just because this is an election year.”
Though the upcoming election does not diminish Hart’s excitement for the TEDxUNI event. Not only do TEDx speeches give insight into speakers’ lives, but the speeches can also make positive social changes in organizations and communities.
Hart shared, “Whether you’re a public speaker or not, all of us have a story to tell that’s important to us.”
The ability to participate in this event is not only meaningful for Hart but also allows him to shift his focus to being the best version of himself.
“The focus has just been being my authentic self,” Hart added. “I’m not worrying about how other people respond to my story, but rather I’m focusing on genuinely telling my story.”
Tickets are available for purchase at tedxuni.com
