As a father of young children in the Urbandale school system, West Banker Aldrich Cabildo realized that serving on the Urbandale School Board would be a good opportunity to become more familiar with their education. He has served on the board since being elected in 2015.

Challenges and Benefits of School Board Service

“The most challenging part of serving on the school board is understanding school finance, as it is completely different from the corporate finance I work with at the Bank,” said Cabildo. The Business Officer with the Iowa Association of School Boards has been a great resource and helps board members better understand the nuances of public school finance.

Being able to support the administrators who support the teachers who support the kids is what Cabildo most enjoys about his role. “It’s a great feeling to know that you have a part in helping equip students with the tools they need to succeed.”

“There is always more to learn – and that’s a good thing”.

The students are not the only ones receiving an education. Cabildo has also learned a great deal from serving on the school board. The biggest thing he has learned is that it is impossible to make everyone happy. Sometimes there are tough decisions to be made, but knowing that the board is always acting in the best interest of the kids makes the struggle worthwhile.

Bond Referendum Passes

Cabildo is proud of the teamwork of the board, students, teachers, parents, staff and community members that resulted in the passage of a bond referendum on February 6, 2018. The bond will provide funds to build two new four-section elementary schools on the current Olmsted and Valerius sites, build an addition to Webster Elementary or the high school as needed for future enrollment growth, and accelerate the timeline for building a new high school fitness center. The plan optimizes school resources, creates equity throughout the district, enhances technology and security, and provides greater 21st century spaces and learning opportunities for all K-12 students.

Recent Urbandale Honors

Since Cabildo has been on the School Board, Urbandale has received the following accolades for being an exceedingly high-performing school district:

• 2016 Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence: Silver Award
• 2016 Webster Elementary School: National Blue Ribbon School
• 2016 School Administrators of Iowa: Assistant Principal of the Year
• 2017 Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence: Silver Award
• 2017 Iowa Assoc. School Business Officials: Professional Leadership Award to our CFO
• 2017 Two (2) Golden Communication Awards from the Iowa School Public Relations Association in areas of eNewsletter and Excellence in article writing

Urbandale Miracle League

Cabildo is involved on the committee to build an accessible baseball field in Urbandale – the Urbandale Miracle League. The field serves both differently-abled children and adults. An all-inclusive playground is also a part of this project. Construction of the baseball field was completed in the fall of 2017. Urbandale Parks and Recreation is putting together programming for the upcoming 2018 Miracle League spring and fall seasons. The adaptive playground is on hold until funding can be achieved, so there is still work to do. 

Winefest Des Moines

Serving on the board of WineFest Des Moines is another interest for Cabildo. West Bank is a presenting sponsor of the festival. The organization educates people about wine and promotes the wine industry in Iowa with events throughout the year. Winefest raises funds for a number of community activities making an annual donation to Bravo Greater Des Moines which in 2017 amounted to $25,000. Winefest also funds three $2,000 scholarships to 2nd year students at the Iowa Culinary Institute at Des Moines Area Community College and three $1,500 scholarships toward test and travel fees for certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Small Business Loans

With a special interest in funding small businesses, Cabildo serves on the board of directors of the Corporation for Economic Development in Des Moines (CEDD), a Certified Development Company under the Small Business Investment Act. The CEDD is certified to originate loans under the 504 Program and administer the City of Des Moines’ Revolving Loan Fund and Microloan Programs.  Cabildo’s service on this board also contributes to West Bank’s compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.

Background

A graduate of Drake University with a BBA in Finance, Cabildo is also a graduate of the West Des Moines Leadership Academy and the Graduate School of Banking Colorado. He has 22 years of experience in the financial services industry and has been a commercial banker with West Bank for 9 years.