Tom Cilek's New Best Friend

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Raina Harmon, Assistant Coach with the University of Iowa Women’s Basketball Team. 
 Tom and Raina discuss her background in Michigan and how intentionally asking for guidance influenced her professional growth,
the coming season and how they’re building on last year’s success, and Raina also shares the story behind Unified Ballers, her personal clothing brand based on...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Tyler Barnes, Director of Recruiting and NFL Liaison for the University of Iowa Football Program.
 Tom and Tyler discuss his fascinating job and some of the surprising limitations he faces when trying to recruit student athletes, they dig into his background, his family, and how he found his way to recruiting as a career, and Tyler shares some insight on his mentors, Na...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Marty Lenss, Airport Director for The Eastern Iowa Airport and Tom and Marty discuss his personal journey and how he made his way to Iowa, the operations of the airport and why flying out of your local airport is so important, Marty shares the origin story and current efforts behind his Wings 2 Water initiative, and Tom finally learns why the Eastern Iowa Airport is ref...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Nancy Bird, President of the new Iowa City Area Development / Iowa City Area Business Partnership merged entity. Tom and Nancy discuss the new merger and what it means for the future of business in Iowa City, her background with the Iowa City Downtown District as well as the Peace Corps, and what her "Living Deliberately" mentality might mean for you. This podcast is sp...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Marlén Mendoza, Founder & CEO of Mendoza Consulting Tom and Marlén discuss her background in Chicago and how she came to the University of Iowa…even though she forgot she even applied, 
they dig into why she changed her name multiple times and how she grew to find pride in it,
 Marlén shares the story of how her, Angie Jordan, and Tasha Lard came together and reinvi...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Gary Barta, Athletic Director at the University of Iowa. Tom and Gary discuss his background and how he made his way from Minnesota to Iowa, the University’s recent athletic successes and areas for growth,
 Gary shares his thoughts on the new Name, Image, and Likeness regulations for student athletes, 
and they chat about how Gary strives for his student athletes to "Wi...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Tasha Lard, Owner of JD Beauty Supply and a leader of the Iowa City South Business District. Tom talks to Tasha about her personal journey including how she became the owner of her own business by identifying a need. Additionally, Tasha shares how she's been working to elevate Iowa City's South Business District, how she has started a group called the Black Professional...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Jennifer Banta, President and CEO of United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties. Tom talks to Jennifer about her work with United Way since she began back in November, including an inside look at their fundraising efforts, how they serve multiple counties, and their current initiatives in providing access to education, healthcare, and financial stability. Additionall...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Jim Mondanaro, celebrated entrepreneur and restauratuer from Iowa City. Tom talks to Jim about his incredible career, how he looks to fill the needs of the community, what his hopes are for his current project, Reunion Brewing Company, and he shares some wisdom for aspiring professionals. This podcast is sponsored by West Bank, a community bank providing services to con...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Gavin McGrath, General Manager within the McGrath Family of Auto Dealerships.  Tom talks to Gavin about his experiences as a college athlete at the University of Iowa and how those experiences have influenced his professional career, how the McGrath Family separates their dealerships from the competition and approaches their unique marketing strategies, and what th...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Matt Gatens, The University of Iowa Men's Basketball Assistant Coach. Tom talks to Matt about his standout athletic career as a Hawkeye himself, his time coaching at Drake University, and his triumphant return to Iowa Men's Basketball. Matt also shares what motivates and inspires him, how we's navigating a newly expanded family, and what the future might hold for him. T...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Angie Jordan, Founder and CEO of Banjo Knits Empowerment, LLC. Tom talks to Angie about her work in Iowa City’s South District Neighborhood Association,  including forming a SSMID (Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District) for the area and overseeing the popular Diversity Market that boasts over 60 vendors. The duo also explores Angie’s story, what motivates h...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Meghann Foster. Meghann is mayor of the City of Coralville. Tom and Meghann sit down to discuss her background growing up on a farm in Northern Iowa, her journey getting involved in her community to make a difference, and what being the first female mayor of Coralville means for the future. This podcast is sponsored by West Bank, a community bank providing services to c...

Meet Tom's New Best Friend: Jerry Fleagle. Jerry is the President & CEO of the Hoover Presidential Foundation. Tom talks to Jerry about his previous experience in the grocery store industry, why having a presidential museum in West Branch is so important, the exciting future of the organization, and how President Hoover impacts his personal philosophy. This podcast is sponsored by West Bank, a...

Meet Tom's new best friend: Jordan Montgomery, owner of Montgomery Companies . Jordan is a highly regarded performance coach and keynote speaker whose clients include business executives, sales organizations, and entrepreneurs. Join Tom and Jordan as they explore his work, dive into what inspires him, and Jordan shares some meaningful insight into how past experiences have shaped his present and f...

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Ruthina Malone, Department Administrator for the University of Iowa Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and member of the Iowa City Community School District Board. Tom talks to Ruthina about her passion for her work with the school board, how she has used her second term to make sure the progress of the district keeps moving forward, her though...

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Lisa Bluder, head coach of the women's basketball program at the University of Iowa. Tom talks to Lisa about the beginning of her career and how she became a successful collegiate basketball coach at a young age, the current state of the Iowa Women’s Basketball Program, and what the future holds for her and the team. The two also discuss her family, her op...

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Brad Kunkel, sheriff for Johnson County. Tom talks to Brad about his background and family, his experience running for sheriff, what a day in the life of a sheriff looks like, how he has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and limited space in the Johnson County jail, and how he views his relationship, and the relationship of officers, with the public. Sponsor...

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Jason Manson, director of player development for the University of Iowa Football Program, to talk about how Jason's previous experience as a Hawkeye and football player has prepared him for his current role, the ways student athletes are impacted by social media, how new rules around the use of name, image, and likeness for collegiate athletes is affecting...

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Coralville Mayor John Lundell to talk about his work as mayor, how he and his team have worked in the wake of the area’s floods, and what partnership means to the city. The two also discuss John’s passion for woodworking, his experience as a firefighter, and his friendship with President Joe Biden. Sponsored by West Bank.

Banker and master connector Tom Cilek is back with a new edition of “Tom Cilek’s New Best Friend,” featuring Geoff Fruin, City Manager of Iowa City. Tom talks to Geoff about his work as city manager for the past five years, the city improvement projects that are currently underway, and how the city has navigated both the pandemic and social movements of the past 18 months. The two also discuss wha...

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Matt Degner, superintendent of the Iowa City Community School District, to talk about managing a school district through a pandemic and what's ahead when students return to school this fall. Sponsored by West Bank.

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Royceann Porter, the vice chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, to talk about her involvement in the Board of Supervisors, lessons learned from the pandemic and the Juneteenth event she’s organizing in Iowa City. Sponsored by West Bank.

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Josh Schamberger, president and CEO of Think Iowa City, who talks about the behind-the-scenes maneuverings that brought Herky on Parade, the Iowa City Downtown District and Xtream Arena to the Corridor. Sponsored by West Bank.

In the latest episode, Tom sits down with Jan Jensen, the associate head women's basketball coach at the University of Iowa, about role players on a team, picking three things to be good at and why giving back is a no-brainer. Sponsored by West Bank.