Orange City, Iowa — Orange City will have some new leadership at the helm as the year ends.
City officials have announced that Earl Woudstra has accepted the position of City Administrator for the City of Orange City. Woudstra will be leading the City after the retirement of Duane Feekes, who has served the Citizens of Orange City for 41 years and will be retiring at the end of 2019.
Woudstra, a life-long Orange City resident, has recently retired as Athletic Director of Northwestern College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern College, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has also served on the City Council of Orange City in the role of Mayor Pro Tem from 1999-2019 working to promote the development of the Puddlejumper Trail system and Park development as well as serving as Council liaison to the Board of Landsmeer Golf Course.
Woudstra says he looks forward to the opportunity to serve the community as the City Administrator. He says, “We have dedicated employees, and I look forward to leading this new team. Orange City has so many great things going on – I hope I can use my gifts to honor God and help promote a community that allows its members to thrive.”
Mayor Deb DeHaan says that without Feekes’s leadership and stewardship of city resources, “Many of the wonderful amenities that the Citizens of Orange City enjoy would not have been possible. For that, we are thankful and we know that Duane has set this community up to continue to be successful under the leadership of Earl Woudstra and the City Council.”
City officials say Woudstra will begin his position in mid-November and Feekes will retire at the end of 2019.
