While not all Waterloo residents may have known Stan Darter’s name before he was elected mayor in April, many likely would have recognized his face.

For the last 20 years, Stan has been a dedicated member of the Monroe County community - and a regular volunteer at countless events.

As a Vietnam veteran and life member of the VFW, Stan is a familiar face at the fish fries, Easter egg hunts and other events at the Metzger-Crook VFW Post #6504. 

He has also been active in the American Legion, and currently serves as vice commander of Waterloo Post 747.

As a member of the Waterloo Optimist Club, Stan has spent many a holiday season selling Christmas trees on their popular lot. A runner for 30 years, Stan has run in 11 marathons and often runs in 5Ks for charities. He’s also been active with Clifftop Alliance, an organization dedicated to Conserving Lands In Farm, Forest, Talus, Or Prairie.

Before running for mayor in 2023, Stan served eight years as a Waterloo alderman.

It was Stan’s commitment to the community that prompted HSS Human Resources Director Trisha Hoagland to approach him in 2015, hoping he would join the HSS Board of Directors.

Since then, Stan has been a champion for HSS. He speaks passionately about HSS programs and services to community members and other civic organizations. He finds ways to help HSS partner with other local groups and looks for ways to immerse HSS clients into the community.

“My value to HSS is networking within our community to improve the quality of life for everyone,” Stan says.

For Stan, the best part of being involved with HSS is the opportunity to spend quality time with the clients. One of his fondest memories is attending the Elvis impersonator show with clients.

“Our clients loved going and were always excited. They had more fun than anyone else,” Stan recalls.

Nearly a decade has passed since Stan’s first board meeting and he is more involved than ever, now serving as secretary for the HSS Board of Directors.

HSS is fortunate to have Stan Darter as an advocate, as is the entire Waterloo community.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about serving on the HSS board or participating on one of our committees, please contact Courtney Hunter at chunter@hss1.org.