About Us

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A proud 40-year resident of Fairfield, Deborah enjoys being of service to her community. Her service has included operating 24 Carrots Restaurant and Small Planet Restaurant, supporting the creation of a Fairfield Cultural District, and serving on the Sierra Club.  

Deborah was inspired to join the FBC to combine her love of service and love of gardening. Deborah created an FBC website, launched a plogging campaign (a combination of jogging and picking up litter) and organized a tulip planting event on the square.

Her hobbies include spending time with family and friends, gardening, kayaking, and cycling.

Eben White moved from Belfast, Maine to Fairfield, Iowa at the age of 17, graduating from MUM (MIU) in 2008. He has been a Fairfield resident for over 18 years since 2002 spending time in both Iowa and Maine, and is a Fairfield Beautification Commissioner since 2024. He is active with all cleanup efforts including streets, sidewalks, and tree and hedge trimming, and has spent time working for The Raj and currently Cambridge Investment Research. Eben's love for arborism, landscaping, and cleanup stems from living in the woods and wilds of Maine tending to fields, woodlands, and wetlands for more than three decades. When Eben isn't working, you'll find him learning all kinds of DIY projects on Youtube or walking the Fairfield Trails; he is also an avid juggler, reader, writer, photographer, and plays tennis, table tennis, pickleball, and any other racquet sport when he's not playing a video game, or laughing with friends.                 

Mercedes Mancilla joined the Fairfield Beautification Commission in 2023 with the aim of deepening her knowledge of gardening and plants. Mercedes loved the commission’s purpose and the sense of community fostered among fellow commission members. Born and raised in Bloomfield, Iowa, Mercedes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in graphic design from the University of Northern Iowa. She currently works at Cambridge Investment Research as a Senior Multimedia Designer. In her free time, you’ll see Mercedes and her husband, Todd walking around their neighborhood with their two Siberian Huskies, Freya and Maeve. If she’s not walking her dogs, you’ll find her reading books (fantasy being her favorite genre) or playing puzzle games on her Nintendo Switch. She enjoys spending

time with her friends and family when she’s not being a hermit at home. Hobbies include reading, gaming, taking walks, eating ice cream, rollerblading with the girls, traveling,

going to concerts, swimming, and watching her favorite TV series Gravity Falls.                                                                                

Yenifer Jimenez is a proud 18-year resident of Fairfield and has been a member of the Fairfield Beautification Commission since 2022. Yenifer has a passion for gardening and interior design. Her home stands out as an inspiration to residents and visitors alike. Perfect strangers stop to take photos of her flowers. Yenifer received two awards for the excellent renovation and landscaping of her home; a Rose Award from the Fairfield Beautification Commission and a Kaurin Hauring Award from the Fairfield Art Association. 

As a mother of two young ladies, she wants to inspire the next generation to be good citizens of the world. Yenifer and her family  volunteered more than 100 hours in 2023 landscaping public gardens. As a business woman, Yenifer has remodeled three other propertied around town for the purpose of making Fairfield a better place to live. Her goal is to help create a safe and beautiful environment for every Fairfield resident and visitor.                                                            

Emily Skopin is a proud 35-year resident of Fairfield. She came to Fairfield to study art at MIU and stayed for the charming small town lifestyle. She continues to create art and has recently discovered the magic of watercolor. Home design and love of color have kept her inspired and she has enjoyed helping friends and family with their own projects as well.

Emily received a Rose Award from the Fairfield Beautification Commission in the early 2000s for the excellent redesign of her front yard and porch. A flagstone pathway and lovely flower garden are evidence of Emily's talent. Her artistic skill-set and love of community led her to join the Fairfield Beautification Commission.                          

Debbie has been a resident of the Fairfield community for nearly four decades. She was attracted by the ease and charm of small town living with like minded people and moved here with her family.

Debbie is co-owner of Cado Dairy-Free Ice Cream, Raw Organic Whey and formerly Shaktea Kombucha.  These businesses were inspired by her love for food and cooking, and creating a healthier lifestyle through better food.

Her passion for gardening and creating beautiful spaces is what inspired her to become a member of the Fairfield Beautification Commission.  She received a Rose Award for Excellence in Design in 2024 from the Fairfield Beautification Commission for the renovation of the exterior of her home and surrounding gardens.  It was her recent trips abroad that motivated Debbie to replicate magical gardens seen in Ireland, enchanting spaces visited in Italy and the noticeably overall pristine landscape of Switzerland.

You can always find Debbie in her garden in her free time.  She also enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, and spending time with family and friends                                                                          

Bob has been a resident of Fairfield most recently for the last nineteen years. When he returned to Fairfield he decided he would do everything in his power to bring value to the community he loves.

Bob's mother, Kay Ferguson, was the Iconic Shaklee Lady, running the family's business from her home at 500 E Burlington Ave. since 1984. Generations of kids climbed the stairs to the Shaklee office with a parent, reaching up on the counter to the little tin container of protein balls. Bob worked alongside his mother in their business since 1977. When he returned to Fairfield after 20 years in Kansas City, he took over the management of the business which he has stewarded for his family ever since. As part of his commitment to personal growth and development, he also serves as CEO of Applied Intelligence Coaching, providing coaching and facilitation of the Positive Intelligence Mental Fitness model.

Along with then mayor, Ed Malloy, Bob conceived and co-chaired the 2009 Go Green Commission with current Fairfield Mayor, Connie Boyer.

Bob's latest civic projects are the Southeast Iowa Community Food Web, and Traction Thursdays, entrepreneurial support meetings.

Bob is an avid gardener, classical guitar player, tennis player and fitness enthusiast. He enjoys visiting with his four amazing and accomplished children and five grandchildren.                       

Meg Doxtator is a recent addition to the Fairfield community, having spent over 30 years

residing in Portland, Oregon. Drawn by the quality of life and the small-town,

community-oriented values that Fairfield offers; Meg has embraced her new home with

enthusiasm.

Professionally, Meg is a Nationally rated Gymnastics Official, judging competitions

across the country. She previously managed and coached a highly regarded age group

program at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland and also served as the USA

Gymnastics Oregon State Chairman and USA Gymnastics Region 2 Chairman for many

years.

Family is important to Meg, and she enjoys visiting her two adult children in Portland

whenever she gets the chance. In Fairfield, she has found joy in various outdoor

activities. She loves biking, kayaking, and playing pickleball, all of which allow her to

appreciate the natural beauty of her new surroundings. Additionally, Meg has taken an

interest in learning the intricacies of Mahjong, expanding her hobbies and social

connections.

Meg is also passionate about gardening but moving into a condo with no yard, she was

looking for a way to keep getting her hands dirty, whether it’s planting, pruning, or

general clean-up. As a new resident, Meg is eager to work with the commission to

make a positive impact on the Fairfield community and to help contribute to a beautiful

Fairfield.        

Raymond has been a resident of Fairfield, Iowa, for more than 22 years. Before moving to

Fairfield, he owned and operated a landscape company in New Hampshire for nearly two

decades, where he also gained experience in custom home building and design.

With a lifelong passion for creating beautiful and functional outdoor spaces, Raymond

brings a broad skill set and hands-on approach to the Beautification Commission. He

originally served on the commission shortly after moving to Fairfield and recently rejoined

to continue contributing to projects that enhance the town’s natural charm and community

spirit.

In addition to his work with the Beautification Commission, Raymond is active in the field of

legacy and financial planning, helping families build, protect, and pass on their wealth with

purpose.

In his free time, Raymond enjoys biking, hiking, travel, and reading.

Micah Jones is an artist, musician, and writer who has called Fairfield home, on and off, since 2015. A student at Maharishi International University with a focus on video editing and multimedia storytelling, she finds joy in blending creativity with community care. Alongside her studies, Micah makes herbal lotions and teas, writes imaginative stories, and performs music at local open mics. Her ten-year-old daughter is the brightest light in her world and her greatest inspiration. Micah considers it an incredible honor to help care for the community she loves through the Fairfield Beautification Committee.

The Fairfield Beautification Commission is now seeking members. The qualities that would match with our goals include someone who is proactive, a team player, loves nature, takes pride in our city, and appreciates a harmonious environment. Commissioners are appointed by our mayor and approved by our City Council. 

You can seek to become a member of the Fairfield Beautification Commission by filling out this application form and submitting it to this commission via the volunteer section on our website homepage.