Brian Gongol

contact information is available at www.gongol.com/contact

Education

Western Governors University - Master of Education in Learning and Technology
Salt Lake City, Utah • graduated November 2020

University of Northern Iowa - Bachelor of Arts in Economics (General Economics)
Cedar Falls, Iowa • graduated May 2001
College of Business Administration • major G.P.A. 3.54, overall G.P.A. 3.88 (Summa Cum Laude)

University of Northern Iowa - Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Electronic Media) with minor in Business Administration
Cedar Falls, Iowa • graduated May 2001
College of Humanities and Fine Arts • major G.P.A. 3.93, minor G.P.A. 4.00, overall G.P.A. 3.88 (Summa Cum Laude)
Purple and Old Gold Award

Valley High School
West Des Moines, Iowa • graduated May 1997 with honors

Employment

Outside Sales Engineer, Vice President, and Partner - D.J. Gongol & Associates, Inc.
April 2002 to present

Principal Owner - Federalist Communications, LLC
December 2014 to present
Communications consultancy, specializing in digital marketing and written communications

Talk-Show Host - WHO-AM
September 2003 to January 2020
Host, "Brian Gongol Show" • September 2003 to January 2020
Co-host, "WHO Radio Wise Guys" • October 2004 to June 2016 • (program merged into an expanded "Brian Gongol Show")
Substitute host, afternoon drive and mid-morning dayparts • July 2006 to January 2020
Named Des Moines' "Best Radio Personality" by readers of Cityview • February 2007

Marketing Consultant - Clear Channel Communications, KKDM-FM, Iowa Radio Network
May 2001 to March 2002
Negotiates contracts for radio and outdoor advertising
Maintains business-to-business relationships
Creates and implements marketing plans for consumer products and services

Communications Operations Intern, Business Development Assistant - Cedar Falls Utilities
February 2000 to May 2001
Conducts financial analyses of ventures by municipally-owned broadband telecommunications utility
Performs feasibility research and prepares reports for Board of Trustees and FCC
Assisted manager in composition of business and marketing plans

Speaker of the Senate - Northern Iowa Student Government
May 1998 to April 2001
Acts as public representative of the Senate and maintains NISG website
Prepares agenda and conducts weekly meetings of the Senate
Interviews and appoints Senators to fill vacancies
Hires and supervises Recording Secretary

News Anchor, General-Assignment Reporter, and Technical Director - WHO-AM, Iowa Radio Network
June 1997 to May 2001
Contributed to ABC Radio News and UPI
Assistant Webmaster, www.whoradio.com

Board Service - Current

Vice Chair - Nebraska Section - American Water Works Association
November 2023 to present
Secretary • November 2022 to November 2023
Trustee • November 2018 to November 2022

Commissioner - Commission of Deaf Services, Iowa Department of Human Rights
Appointed August 2021 (term May 2021 through April 2025)
Elected vice-chair in June 2023

Midwest Distinguished Alumni Council - Western Governors University
Appointed April 2023

Advisory Council - Des Moines Area Community College Water Environmental Technology Program
Appointed May 2023

Board Service - Past

Director - Polk County Schools Employees Credit Union
April 2011 to September 2016
Audit committee • April 2011 to April 2013
Credit committee • April 2013 to September 2016
Board membership concluded with the successful merger of the credit union with a larger institution

Pastoral Council Member - St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Parish
December 2004 to January 2010
Coordinated the preparation of a long-term parish plan and assisted with the technical development of a new parish website

Publications

"The Honorable Alternative"
Paperback (53 pages) • published September 2016

"Ten Big Answers You Won't Get from a Politician"
Paperback (103 pages) • published December 2005

"Ten Big Answers for Iowa's Future"
Paperback • publication forthcoming

www.gongol.com
Various essays and articles

Skills and Certifications

CPR (American Heart Association)
Heartsaver AED • last renewed August 2008

American Sign Language
Elementary to limited working proficiency

Presentations Given and Short Courses Taught

"Forget the Environment; We're in the Public-Health Business"
Nebraska Water Environment Association Great Plains Conference • La Vista, Nebraska • April 2013

"Lagoon Liners and Baffles"
Nebraska Wastewater Operators Division Snowball Conference • Kearney, Nebraska • January 2008

"Lagoons and Small Treatment Plants"
Spring Short Course • West Des Moines, Iowa • April 2004

"Maintenance Best Practices for Utilities"
Nebraska Section American Water Works Association Annual Convention • Kearney, Nebraska • November 2009

"Media Relations for the Water Industry"
Nebraska Section American Water Works Association Annual Convention • Kearney, Nebraska • November 2008
Nebraska Wastewater Operators Division Snowball Conference • Kearney, Nebraska • January 2009
League of Nebraska Municipalities Utilities Section Conference • Lincoln, Nebraska • January 2010

"The 100-Year Business Plan"
Noon Des Moines Estate and Financial Planners Group • Des Moines, Iowa • February 2009

"Practical Tips for Effective Communications"
League of Nebraska Municipalities Utilities Section Conference • Lincoln, Nebraska • January 2010

"Preserving Institutional Memory"
Nebraska Section American Water Works Association Annual Convention • Kearney, Nebraska • November 2009

"Self-Priming Pumps"
Iowa Rural Water Association Pump Workshop • Johnston, Iowa • November 2008
Iowa Rural Water Association Pump Workshop • North Liberty, Iowa • November 2008

"Ten Big Answers for Iowa's Future"
VSR Financial Services Regional Meeting • West Des Moines, Iowa • December 2006
Des Moines Host Lions Club • Des Moines, Iowa • February 2007

Academic Awards

U.S. Presidential Scholar
1997
U.S. Department of Education and White House Commission on Presidential Scholars

Presidential Scholarship
1997
University of Northern Iowa
Full undergraduate tuition, room, and board

Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction
1997

National Merit Finalist
1997

Purple and Old Gold Award
2001
University of Northern Iowa

Civic and Industry Awards

Eagle Scout Award
1994

Student Excellence
1998
Iowa Associated Press Association

General Reporting (2nd Place)
(with Sue Danielson)
1999
Iowa Associated Press Association

Spot News Reporting (1st Place)
(with Gary Barrett and Brad Ehrlich)
2013
Iowa Broadcast News Association

Volunteer of the Year
2014
Nebraska Section - American Water Works Association

George Warren Fuller Award
2022
Nebraska Section - American Water Works Association

Professional Memberships

American Water Works Association
November 2006 to present
Public Information Committee • Nebraska Section • December 2007 to present
Publications Committee (chair) • Nebraska Section • December 2010 to present
Public Information Committee • Iowa Section • November 2015 to present

Iowa Newspaper Association
Associate member • October 2007 to present

Iowa Broadcast News Association
April 2013 to present

Water Environment Federation
December 2014 to present
Publications Committee • Nebraska Section • November 2015 to present

American Economic Association
November 2016 to present

Other Activities, Clubs, and Memberships

Beta Gamma Sigma
Inducted April 1999 (lifetime member)
Business honorary

Omicron Delta Kappa
Inducted April 1999 (lifetime member)
Leadership honorary
UNI President • April 2000 to April 2001

UNI Tae Kwon-Do Club
September 2000 to present
1st Dan (black belt) • promoted June 8, 2002
2nd Dan (black belt) • promoted December 4, 2004
3rd Dan (black belt)
4th Dan (black belt)
5th Dan (black belt) • promoted December 3, 2016
6th Dan (black belt) • promoted December 24, 2020

Bull Moose Club
Member • April 2005 to December 2018
Secretary • January 2010

Golden Key National Honor Society
April 1999 to May 2001
Service and leadership honorary

UNI Economics Club
September 1999 to May 2001

Phi Beta Lambda
September 2000 to May 2001
Business leadership organization

Media and Educational Citations

"Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway faces a brutal mix of economic headwinds. It will capitalize on the chaos, 8 experts say.", Business Insider, April 6, 2023
Reporter: Theron Mohamed

"After two years of virtual meetings, Omaha prepares for return of Berkshire shareholders", Omaha World-Herald, April 30, 2022
Reporter: Dan Crisler

"We asked 7 experts what they're hoping Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway will do this year. Here's what they told us.", Business Insider, February 2, 2021
Reporter: Theron Mohamed

"Warren Buffett at 90", Omaha World-Herald, August 23, 2020
Reporter: Henry Cordes

"What's behind Buffett's switch from book value to market value", Omaha World-Herald, May 4, 2019
Reporter: Henry Cordes

"E-scams: Catching fraudsters in a technical world", by Katherine Massey
Forensics Journal, 2013

"A comparative analyse on American, Japanese and Korean management from the point of view of international business", by Ion-Viorel Matei
Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Winter 2013

"U.S. economical strategic interests in Central Asia: Current situations and expectation for the future", by David Pihlblad and Robert Guang Tian
Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 2012

"Understanding Media and Culture: An introduction to mass communication", by Jack Lule
Flat World Education, 2012

"International Handbook on Teaching and Learning in Economics", edited by Gail Hoyt and KimMarie McGoldrick
Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012

"Banking Burdens", WHO-TV, November 5, 2011
Reporter: Dan Winters

"Buying Berkshire's Buyback Plan", Omaha World-Herald, September 27, 2011
Reporter: Steve Jordon

"Blogometrics", by Franklin G. Mixon, Jr., and Kamal P. Upadhyaya
Eastern Economic Journal, 2010

"Leveraging Lean in Healthcare: Transforming your enterprise into a high quality patient care delivery system", by Charles Protzman, George Mayzell, and Joyce Kerpchar
CRC Press, 2010

"Bailout Nation: How greed and easy money corrupted Wall Street and shook the world economy", by Barry Ritholtz
Wiley, 2009

"Out of New Orleans: Race, Class, and Researching the Katrina Diaspora", by Jerome E. Morris
Urban Education, 2008

"Global Edge: Using the opacity index to manage the risks of cross-border business", by Joel Kurtzman and Glenn Yago
Harvard Business School Press, 2007

"Iowa Suburbs' Political Views? Much Like They Are Here", Daily Herald, December 19, 2007
Reporter: David Beery

"Big Business in Blogging Economists", Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2006
Reporter: Alana Semuels
Also carried in Canton (OH) Repository, December 7, 2006
Also carried in Austin American-Statesman, December 10, 2006