Roy Nowers

Cedar Rapids, Iowa…..

I never thought a kid born in Moline, Illinois, growing up in Mandan, North Dakota graduating high school in Grand Island, Nebraska would end up in Iowa. When I say “growing up” I really mean that where we stayed the longest (8 yrs), there were 9 different States and several different towns with in each State. I am happy to call Cedar Rapids my home and I have no intention of leaving….I’m planted!

My working career started at a very young age, beside the normal high school jobs of being a line man for a small commuter airlines, a groom and exercise boy for a racing stables, a lifeguard at the local YMCA my working carrier took off when I focused on my goals and landed in Cedar Rapids.

I started working in the local Montgomery Wards selling appliances, with the success of that I started attending classes at Kirkwood Community College and earned an AA. Once I had that ticket, I used that to open the door to my BA in Business Administration from Coe College all while working full-time.

Cool Jobs? Yep, I have had some; I started working as an intern at the Five Seasons Center & Paramount Theatre, fast forward 18 years later, I was the Director of Programming & Marketing for the US Cellular Center and Paramount Theatre. With a fulltime staff of 6 and part-time staff of 125, $3.4M budget, 320 event days and attendance of over 320,000 annually, I can handle; pressure, responsibility, performance management, issue resolution and scheduling. I have negotiated contracts with some of the biggest and largest touring acts in the world. Pulling off these events was not easy, long hours, late nights and attention to detail made these events happen all while never letting anyone see you stressed, I think that is a great career to precede a Real Estate career. I have also spent a year at the Science Station as Interim Executive Director and 10 years as Executive Director of Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids.

I am married (18 yrs) to Paula Roby, Partner, Elderkin & Pirnie PLC together we have two amazing kids; Jack (8), 3rd Grade at Bowman Woods Elementary and Colette (13) Oak Ridge Middle School and Molly our Berniedoodle puppy. We live in Bowman Ridge in NE Cedar Rapids.