Jeff Edberg

[ Father ] [ Realtor ] [ Softie ]

After 25 years of living in other places, Jeff Edberg, an Iowa City native, decided to return and invest in his hometown.

He’s a board member for Willowwind School and Extend The Dream Foundation, and he chairs the board of The Arc of Southeast Iowa. Previously he also has been a board member for Riverside Theatre, Preucil School of Music and MECCA for 11 years.

But perhaps his foremost passion — the one that puts a smile on his face whenever he talks about him — is his son, Colin.

Colin has cerebral palsy, though the Edbergs didn’t know it when they adopted him. When the doctor told them Colin wouldn’t talk or walk, they felt helpless and didn’t know where to turn.

That’s when Edberg found The Arc, an organization dedicated to serving families with disabled children in Johnson County.

“We adopted this boy with special needs and we didn’t know how to help him, nobody did,” Edberg said. “We turned to The Arc and they showed us how to get help, (and) I am in their debt.”

Edberg now chairs the board of The Arc and acts as “a cheerleader” for them, he said.
“It’s important that people in the community understand disabled citizens,” he said. “They’re people, just with visible problems.”

Despite his doctor’s early predictions, Colin — whose nickname is Charmer — can walk and talk. Edberg said his son is a fighter, but a lot is owed to the help of The Arc.

“These are kids who can’t fight for themselves,” Edberg said. “The Arc is fighting for them.”

As for Edberg’s part in serving the community, he’s humble.

“I don’t do this for a career. It’s just something I can do,” he said. “Taking care of these kids needs to be done.”

— Stephanie Wise