Tama County Veteran Affairs Director Chad Weaver, left, pictured outside his downtown Toledo office alongside longtime director Elizabeth Ledvina this past July. The pair have been working together in the office for roughly eight months as Ledvina transitions toward retirement. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

TOLEDO – For the last eight months, a new face has greeted visitors who stepped inside the door at Tama County’s Veteran Affairs Office, director Chad Weaver of Garwin. And while Weaver – a Marshalltown High School Class of 2010 alumnus and veteran – is employed as the office’s full-time director these days, he works side-by-side with the office’s longtime director, Elizabeth Ledvina as she transitions toward retirement from the director position, thus ensuring a smooth handover of their vitally-important county office.

According to the Tama County Auditor’s Office, Weaver was hired as full-time director on March 17, 2025, to eventually take over from Ledvina who had hoped to move to part-time director or retire outright by July 1, 2025. Unfortunately, Weaver was unable to gain full access to all the federal databases the director position requires until this past September; by Oct. 1, with the stars finally aligned, Ledvina was able to drop down to part-time.

“I am still working 20 hours by the request of the [Tama County Veteran Affairs] Commissioners,” Ledvina told the newspaper in a recent email. “Chad is still working great and improving his education daily. He is the full-time Director of Tama County Veterans Affairs Office.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Ledvina, a Tama County native who lives in rural Toledo, was the keynote speaker during Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District’s Veterans Day program held at Lincoln AMVETS Post #10 Hall where she told the audience she plans to retire next summer.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class Ledvina joined the Iowa National Guard in 1982 and was deployed to Iraq from 2003-2004 where she served as a platoon sergeant and as an operations sergeant. She was hired by the Tama County Veteran Affairs Office in 2002. The newspaper will feature a story on Ledvina’s retirement closer to her official retirement next year, including her invaluable work serving veterans for more than two decades – both locally and at the state and federal level.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

For his part, Weaver answered a series of questions for the newspaper this past July in anticipation of Ledvina retiring in 2025. His answers are being printed in their entirety below.

The Tama County Veteran Affairs Office, located at 219 W. High Street in Toledo, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Director Weaver can be reached at 641-484-3160.

Meet Chad Weaver: Tama County Veterans Affairs Director

“I was raised in Marshalltown, Iowa and was fortunate to live next to the river growing up. I enjoyed catching all sorts of critters in my early years. I graduated from [Marshalltown High School] in 2010 and worked a few different jobs before deciding to join the United States Marine Corps. I ended up going to [Marine Corps Recruit Depot] San Diego for bootcamp April 20, 2014. I went to North Carolina to be trained in my MOS (job) on Camp Johnson. I went to school to become a 3521 (Automotive Maintenance Technician).

“After my schooling was done, I got sent to the fleet to perform my job. I was stationed on Camp Pendleton in the 43 Area also known as Las Pulgas. I was a mechanic for 2nd battalion, 11th Marines 1st Marine Division (nickname for the unit was ‘The Magnificent Bastards’).

“In 2016, I went on a MEU (marine expeditionary unit) when tensions with the North Korean dictator were at their highest. I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan for two months and then went on ship for a few months and stopped at port in Malaysia and Hong Kong. We also ported in the Philippines to do a combined training exercise with the Philippine Marine Corps.

“I completed my time in service on [April 21, 2018] and returned home. I have since completed four years of college – going two (2) years for the natural gas tech program, one (1) year for entrepreneurship course, and one (1) year for the residential construction tech course. I still plan on starting my own business making custom molding/trim work.

“I am married to my beautiful wife Joshlyn and we have two children, Anni and Cooper. I currently live in Garwin. We moved into our house in 2020.

“I used the [Tama County Veteran Affairs Office] services before obtaining this position. It was extremely helpful knowing I could reach out for help with a very complex system. I didn’t realize how much was offered for vets as well.”