Reggie Bell Named Waukee’s 2019 Citizen of the Year

Waukee, Iowa — Waukee Mayor Courtney Clarke has named community advocate and military veteran Reggie Bell Waukee’s 2019 Citizen of the Year. The Citizen of the Year honor is given each year to an exemplary resident who represents the true spirit of community service.

The Citizen of the Year acknowledgement process was modified this year, dictated by social distancing guidelines. However, Mr. Bell will be honored at the December WinterFest celebration and at the January 2021 Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner; he will also be recognized at a future Waukee parade. Mayor Clarke will present Bell with a proclamation and plaque, and he will receive a local business prize package from the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce.

“When the selection committee and I reviewed award submissions, we were so impressed with the level of community service Reggie has provided to Waukee,” said Waukee Mayor Courtney Clarke. “Not only has he sacrificed in serving our country, but he initiates continual outreach to underserved groups in and around Waukee. We thank him greatly for showing us what can be achieved with selfless giving of one’s time and talents.”

Bell spent much of his formative years in Kansas City public housing. He then served in the U.S. Army for 22 years. Bell moved to Waukee in 2007. Many people know Bell from his volunteer and fundraising work with the Waukee American Legion, as a greeter and advocate for the Waukee Family YMCA, or as the Area Coordinator for the Mu Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, a predominantly African-American fraternity focused on “Lifting as we Climb”. His dedication to community service goes beyond Waukee as well.

Bell is also an active member of Cornerstone Church’s Hot Dog Ministry in Des Moines, spending his time delivering hot dogs and snacks to homeless shelters and encampments.

He supports the Single Parent Provision, leads socks and snacks drives for deployed members of the U.S. military, collects food and necessities for the homeless and low-income, opens his Thanksgiving table each year for those who are alone, and serves with local non-profits Garden Gate Ranch and Leading With Power.

“I’m truly humbled by my recognition as Waukee’s Citizen of the Year,” Bell said. “I have a heart for helping others. I grew up with a mother who always reached out to help the less fortunate, even when her own circumstances were not good. A quote that comes to me in these trying times was written by Charles Dickens: ‘No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.’”

Bell and his wife Sherry have two daughters, one grandson, another grandchild on the way and a Jack Russell Terrier.

 
The Waukee Citizen of the Year program is a joint effort between the City of Waukee and the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce to recognize Waukee residents for dedicated volunteer efforts which lead to making Waukee a great place in which to live, work, play and learn. The selection committee consists of Waukee’s Mayor and representatives from the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce, Waukee Area Christian Services and the Waukee Family YMCA.