Gloria Mazza, Chair
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF POLK COUNTY
[email protected]
Chairman Gloria Mazza became involved in politics when first volunteering for Mitt Romney’s campaign logging 800 volunteers hours. Once she discovered the desire to stay involved in politics, she became the volunteer coordinator for the Republican Party of Polk County and volunteered at the county office. She was named Volunteer of the Year in 2013.
Gloria served as Executive Director for the Republican Party of Polk County for 2014-2016 and now starts her second term as the Chair of the Republican Party of Polk County where she received the Robert D. Ray Chair Award from the Republican Party of Iowa in 2022.
As President of the Polk County Republican Women's club in 2015 they were recognized by the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) with the Highest Percentage of Membership Growth in the country. She served as President of the Capitol Region Republican Women (formerly Polk County) from 2018-2021.
Involvement with the Iowa Federation of Republican Women began in 2014 and she served as the State President 2018-2019 and served as Vice-Chair to the Caring for America Committee with the National Federation of Republican Women.
Her most treasured honors came in 2019 when she was selected as an Honorary Colonel of the Militia and 2023 named to the Honorary Inaugural Committee for Iowa’s first elected female Governor Kim Reynolds’ Inaugurations.
She resides with her husband Tom and their German Shepherd Lexi Lou. She has one daughter and two grandchildren.
Joe Heuertz, Co-Chair
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF POLK COUNTY
[email protected]
Secretary Joe Heuertz started in politics in 2009 when he served as President of the Drake University College Republicans. During this time he as involved with Republican Party of Polk County as Assistant Executive Director.
Involvement continued with Republican Party of Polk County as Secretary in 2013 and serving on Executive and Central Committees as well as serving as a delegate for the County, District and State conventions from 2008-2016 and 2020 and just completed a two year term as Secretary of the the Republican Party of Polk County for 2021-2022.
His involvement as a volunteer with the County party at Caucus time has been instrumental for the success of caucus to convention activities. He served as the County Convention Credentials Chair five different years.
Joe has been involved in many federal campaigns including Newt Gingrich for President in 2011 and American's for Rick Perry Super PAC and was a Field Director for the 2010 Zaun for Congress.
Joe is Nebraska transplant who moved to Iowa in 1996 and is a lifelong Republican who now resides in Johnston.
Andrew Ventling, Secretary
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF POLK COUNTY
Tom Armstrong, Treasurer
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF POLK COUNTY
Treasurer Tom Armstrong has been involved in politics since he was first elected Mayor of Grimes in 2001. Tom served as Mayor for 16 years prior to his decision to not stand for reelection in 2017. During his terms he served on numerous boards and commissions including the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (Chair 2017-2018, Vice Chair 2014-2017, Treasurer 2011-2014), Mid-Iowa Association of Local Governments (Chair 2011), Bravo Greater Des Moines, and Catch Des Moines. He has been a member of Polk County Central committee since 2018 and on the Executive board since 2021.
Tom is the President of Rainbow of the Heartland which has stores in Grimes, Iowa and Olathe, Kansas. In this role Tom enjoys the responsibility of all the accounting for the stores and has recently turned the day-to-day managing of the stores over to his two general managers.
Tom and his wife Cindy are both native Iowans and moved to Grimes in 1998. They have five children and eight grandchildren. His wife Cindy is a teacher for Dallas Center-Grimes CSD.