Be The Light Park honors memory of Ascentra’s Dale Owen

Family, friends and coworkers of the late Dale Owen formed a sea of orange as they donned bright Be The Light T-shirts in Ascentra Credit Union’s signature color on Tuesday, June 13, to dedicate a park in the leader’s memory.  Nearly 80 people gathered at the new Be The Light Park at 1032 State St., […]

Family, friends and coworkers of the late Dale Owen formed a sea of orange as they donned bright Be The Light T-shirts in Ascentra Credit Union’s signature color on Tuesday, June 13, to dedicate a park in the leader’s memory.  Nearly 80 people gathered at the new Be The Light Park at 1032 State St., which was built to honor Mr. Owen. The Ascentra president and CEO died in November 2020 of pancreatic cancer. The park borrows its name from a message he often shared: “be the light.” “We all cherish the time we had with Dale, the laughs, the witty sayings he had, the lasting memories and know that Dale’s legacy of ‘be the light’ lives on with each of us,” Ascentra’s current President and CEO Linda Andry told those gathered for an afternoon park dedication and sign unveiling.  The dedication ceremony was a tribute to both Mr. Owen and his predecessor at Ascentra, Paul Lensmeyer, who died in 2013. Both men were driving forces not only at the credit union but also in their community, in downtown Bettendorf and beyond. In fact, Mr. Owen helped establish the new Downtown Bettendorf Organization (DBO). 

As part of the celebration, Ms. Andry also announced several $5,000 gifts being donated by Ascentra in the two leaders’ memory. The community organizations receiving the donations are: DBO, Bettendorf Development Corp., Bettendorf Business Network, Iowa Quad Cities Rotary Club, Bettendorf Library Foundation,  Friends of Bettendorf Library, Family Museum and the Quad Cities Community Foundation.  “In the spirit of Random Acts of Light Day, which focuses on the kindness and encouragement for those battling cancer, we also are donating $5,000 to the Brantley Francis Foundation, supporting pediatric cancer patient and their families, and $5,000 to Gilda’s Club of the Quad Cities …,” she told the crowd.  Ms. Andry recalled the more than two years involved in the park’s creation and credited DBO Executive Director Ryan Jantzi and Ascentra’s Barry Shaw for having the vision. “An incredible amount of thought, preparation, patience and collaboration has taken place to get us to today’s event,” she said.  She described her two predecessors as “amazing leaders (who) left us with strong legacies, each in their own unique way.” 

“Our hope is the park will be a visual reminder and inspiration as members of our community pass by or take time to stop and visit,” Ms. Andry said. “It’s a gateway into Bettendorf with a lasting message to encourage us to be the light and serve others.”  Also speaking at the dedication, Bettendorf City Administrator Decker Ploehn recalled an early morning phone call back when Mr. Owen first told him of his cancer diagnosis. “He said ‘I just want to let you know what a positive influence you are in my life and what a difference you made to me in being positive. I’m gonna need all your positivity going forward,’” Mr. Ploehn said. Sharing how grateful he was for that call and Mr. Owen’s friendship, he added “I felt right there all the positivity that Dale and Paul exuded in their lives … ” The DBO’s Mr. Jantzi told the crowd that Mr. Owen was the driving force behind the effort to create DBO and how the downtown stakeholders agreed to tax themselves to create the self-supporting municipal improvement district.  Thanking the Scott County Regional Authority (SCRA) for its financial investment, he said “Their generosity allowed us to transform a once ignored piece of land into a vibrant and inviting park that will serve as a gateway into downtown Bettendorf.”  He credited the park to the efforts of DBO, the City of Bettendorf, Ascentra and the Iowa Department of Transportation. It sits on the west side of the new Interstate 74 bridge and along a newly aligned State Street. The park is on the opposite side of downtown from Ascentra’s headquarters.    Mr. Owen’s wife, Angie, also participated in the dedication, thanking the crowd for their support and all those who made the park a reality. “He truly loved and valued each and every one of you,” she said.   “I am, and always will be, incredibly proud of Dale,” she said. “Today is just another reminder of his warm spirit.”