Hoover Presidential Foundation Trustee Adam Gregg has been a prominent figure in the State of Iowa for nearly a decade. Serving as State Public Defender of Iowa and Lieutenant Governor, he has ascended to these important roles due to his leadership skills and competencies that have made him a valued figure on the Foundation’s board. As he looks ahead to his new role that will take him away from public service, he reflected on his transition, the renovation of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, and the legacy of Herbert Hoover.
Adam has recently taken the helm as the new President and CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association (IBA). He will lead an organization that provides critical services to the banking industry in Iowa, which includes legislative advocacy, compliance guidance and education, human resources support, and leadership development. On top of these leadership demands, the IBA also has two for-profit subsidiaries: a mortgage company and insurance company. Adam saw a few benefits that made this position appealing. For him, it represents something both challenging and meaningful that will provide a better work-life balance than his role in public service.
What drew Adam to the Hoover Presidential Foundation was his love of history. In fact, he is a self-proclaimed history nerd. His fondness for the topic and Hoover’s importance to the state was a perfect pairing for him. Throughout his life, he found Herbert Hoover to be a fascinating historical figure. This became even truer as he continued to learn more about him and his uncommon life.
Being the only President from Iowa was a deciding factor in his decision to give his time and talents toward helping steward Herbert Hoover’s great legacy. As a Trustee, Adam also tries to read a biography every year or two. Currently, he is reading Kenneth Whyte’s book Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times.
There are several aspects to the Hoover legacy that Adam has found remarkable. What moves him the most is his exceptional humanitarian work, but it doesn’t stop there. He is also impressed by how he raised himself by his bootstraps to turn his tragic childhood into an amazing and successful life, selflessly leaving a flourishing business to dedicate himself to public service and staying engaged in the debates of the times even when he was unfairly maligned. As Adam said, “We have so much to learn from Hoover.”
Adam has expressed his excitement about the renovation of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum and the opportunity it brings to tell that meaningful story, feeling that it is clearly time for an update. At 32 years, it has gone the longest of any of the 13 presidential libraries and museums without a renovation or expansion.
What it gives us is an amazing opportunity to connect with a new generation of Hoover fans. It is a story that stands the test of time, but we need to be able to tell it in new and interesting ways. As a Trustee of the Hoover Presidential Foundation, he has taken this as a call to action for himself to ensure the success of this important work.
With his love of history and work as a Trustee, Adam also carries an appreciation of the Hoover Campus as a place of reflection on Hoover’s remarkable life, and he feels it most at Hoover’s gravesite saying, “I think one of the most special places on the campus is at the gravesite. From there you can look into the distance and see the little white house he was born in, the museum which honors his life and time in the White House, to the place where he was laid to rest. It’s a place that allows you to reflect on the full arc of his life.”