Public service, history and a new chapter for Black Hawk County auditor Grant Veeder
Public service, history and a new chapter for Black Hawk County auditor Grant Veeder
After more than 35 years as the Black Hawk County auditor and 43 years in public service, UNI alum Grant Veeder is ready to start a new chapter in his life: retirement, which will come with adding chapters to the book he is actively writing.
The two-time UNI alum earned his bachelor’s in English in 1974 and his master’s in history in 1979. He believes both subject areas have benefited his work in public service.
“My English background has been very helpful, and my history background isn't as direct an aid to my professional life, but it's always been there in the background as something that does give me perspective on things that maybe other people who don’t understand the history of the country don't have,” said Veeder.
Veeder reflects fondly on being the secretary for Bender Hall Senate and being tasked with taking the minutes of each meeting. He made it his mission to make the minutes as entertaining and humorous as possible, something he has repeated many times in his life.
“I've been the recording secretary for lots of groups since then, and it's always been my intention to make the minutes something to look forward to.”
After graduating with his bachelor's, Veeder originally thought he would be a teacher, but discovered it wasn’t the best fit. He then held a series of jobs, including things like selling vacuums and working in a funeral home. Through a UNI connection, he eventually landed an interview with the Black Hawk County auditor’s office to work as the deputy commissioner of elections. After getting the job, Veeder quickly realized he’d found his calling in life.
“I was learning so much new stuff in a short period of time, and it was a constant challenge to learn the job,” he said. “I’ve had some jobs that were pretty repetitive. You go to work, do the same thing every day, and this was a job where there's something new every day. And it was interesting work. I thought it was important work.”
Veeder was first elected to his current position in 1988 and has been reelected each year since until his retirement in 2024. His work has given him an appreciation for the importance of local government.
“If Congress votes to do something, it might be years in the making,” he explained. “If the county engineer's office sees that there are potholes in the roads, they can do something about that next week. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but county government does respond to the people's needs on a regular day-to-day basis.”
Veeder’s love of history has presented him with some exciting opportunities over the years. Although his affinity for history is expansive, he is especially interested in American history relating to Abraham Lincoln. During the Bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, Veeder gave talks around the state about Lincoln’s ties to Iowa. It’s a topic he has researched and written about extensively over the years. In fact, he has been working on a book on this subject that he intends to publish.
“That's still a huge part of my life: studying history and writing history,” he said. “I just can't get enough of reading about history, and I love talking about it and writing about it.”
Veeder is excited to work on the book more in retirement. The process has been aided by his UNI connections, as he has consulted a few UNI professors while working on the project. He will also be teaching a Lifelong University course on Lincoln’s legal career.
In Veeder’s opinion, people have short memories and will not remember much about him after he retires. However, for those who do, he hopes they have positive associations with his decades of public service.
“I just hope they remember I always wanted to do my best for the public, and I was somebody who would work cooperatively with other people,” he said. “That's something I have tried to do in the time I've been here.”
