In November, Iowa American Water President Randy Moore was recognized by the YWCA of the Quad Cities for his efforts in standing up against racism. Moore was nominated for this honor by Ginny Wilson-Peters, president of Integrity Integrated. Randy and 19 others were individually presented with their awards due to safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a news release, the YWCA said “the honorees are people who are standing firmly and intentionally against racism and doing this through their words, choices and actions”.
In her nomination, Wilson-Peters wrote, “As president of Iowa American Water, Randy reinforces and strengthens customer, regulatory and local government relationships, drives operational and financial results and is the principal external contact for American Water in Iowa. For over three decades, he has used his diverse water utility experience to serve in a variety of leadership roles at American Water operations in Indiana, Ohio and Iowa. He has shared the story of his humble beginnings as a treatment plant operator in Indiana America Water’s Wabash Valley District and how he has worked his way up in the company to become president.”
In response to receiving the honor, Moore shared, “There are a lot of things that give great cause for concern in our country. FAIRNESS, JUSTICE and EQUITY are major issues for us all. Simple answers to complex questions could change the world. If we look at these complexities with a fundamental perspective toward individuals, not only will we change, so will our world change. “I want to be a world changer and so should you. Let’s be fair to all, provide justice to all and grant equity to every living being. If we exercise these fundamental practices, our world will change. Racism is the ugly divider of the people. If you look past the color of our skin, we are all the same. There is a concept called synergy. If we as a people would come together without reservation or hesitation, the synergy we could create would be earth shattering. Eliminating racism may seem to be a pipe dream. Until we TRY to make a difference, it will forever be,” he added.
The Race Against Racism event raised nearly $10,000 for five YWCA of the Quad Cities social justice programs including:
- theplace2b, which is an after-school program for homeless and at-risk youth
- YWCA Youth Empowerment Program, which assists youth with job searches
- YWCA Youth STEM Program, which provides disadvantaged youth with career exploration opportunities
- YWCA Youth Scholarship Program; and the YWCA Child Care Center.
