Eilander seeks re-election as Poweshiek County Auditor

​     Missy Eilander is completing her first four-year term as Poweshiek County Auditor and is seeking re-election to a new four-year term.
     Eilander is a life-long resident of Poweshiek County, growing up in Montezuma and graduating from Montezuma High School in 1990. She earned an Associate’s Degree in business administration and sales and marketing from American Institute of Business in Des Moines. 
      After college, she returned to Montezuma where she worked at Earley Law Office for six years, then as a real estate loan assistant for four years in Oskaloosa at MidWestOne Bank. She then did loan closings for Security Title in Montezuma for three years before joining the county auditor’s staff in January 2007.  
Eilander began as assistant finance director in the auditor’s office, serving as the human resources person, handling employee benefits and payroll. She also worked with township budgets, real estate file, tax valuations, tax billing, and assisted with elections.  
      In 2016 when the county auditor, Diana Dawley, decided not to seek re-election and instead run for county supervision position, Eilander sought election as county auditor.
         “When I learned Diana was not seeking re-election as auditor, I felt I would like to better myself, to learn more, and this would be a perfect opportunity,” recalled Eilander. “I enjoy serving the citizens of the county and helping them in any way I can.”
      The county auditor is also the commissioner of elections and oversees all elections involving county voters.  Eilander states election laws are always changing and emphasized now more than ever is the importance of election security. In her first term, Eilander replaced outdated laptops used by precinct election officials with iPads. Election officials like the ease and greater speed of the iPads. iPads are smaller than laptops, thus creating more work space, and the need for certain equipment lessened as did the size of the equipment, making the iPad easier to set up and move.
     Also in her first term, Eilander stopped the hand recording in transfer books making the transfers electronic in the computer system. Eilander had existing transfer books digitized and this information is available on-line through a link on the county website.  
         Eilander is married to Mark, who works at Vermeer in Pella, and has two daughters, Kara, 17, and Ashlee, 14, who both attend Montezuma Community School.