| I was raised in Center Point, Iowa, by a municipal employee father and a school teacher mother, both of whom worked hard to support their three children. My small-town Iowa roots and working-class family life instilled in me a solid work ethic and a strong sense of community.
My best and most trusted friend is Sara, my wife of over 31 years, who is also an Iowa native. We have lived in Saylor Township for over 16 years, where we raised our four children currently ranging in ages from 25 to 12, and two of whom are still at home. Our entire family shares a love of people and community, and we have all been active over many years advocating at local and state levels for important issues, organizations, and candidates that promote freedom, strengthen families, and make Iowa a better place to live, raise a family, and operate a business.
My passion for people and community is part of my daily professional life, too. As president of the legal division for a Nashville-based national charitable estate and gift planning firm, I have helped direct billions of dollars to charitable causes around the country! I am also the managing partner of the Hagenow Gustoff & Karas law firm, which my partners and I founded in 2009 with an express purpose of making a difference for causes that matter to Iowans. I am a small businessman who knows the struggles of making payroll and everything else that keeps small business owners awake at night.
I have also been a longtime volunteer board member for numerous nonprofit organizations and active in local church leadership circles. My wide range of volunteer activities have included Habitat for Humanity of Iowa, Ruth Harbor Ministries, Iowa State Bar Association committees, school choice and parental organizations, and serving eight years on the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Iowa (including the honor of being selected in each of those terms by my peers to serve as the party's Treasurer). |