Joleen lives near the historic Motor Mill south of Elkader with her husband, Jim, and is the proud parent of three grown children. She serves as Senior Network Coach for the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa and runs Jansen Products, a local web development business.
A Dubuque native and Coe College graduate, Joleen began her career as a laboratory medical technologist. She later worked as an environmental sanitarian and zoning administrator in Dubuque and Winneshiek County.
Inspired by a 2014 solar workshop hosted by the Winneshiek Energy District, the Jansens went solar—an experience that led Joleen to help found the Clayton County Energy District, Iowa’s second. From 2016 to 2024, she served as its program director, advancing the “green meets green” movement locally and beyond.
Today, Joleen continues to lead by example: The Jansens power their home with solar energy, drive an electric Chevy Equinox, and use a waterless geothermal heat pump system for heating, cooling, and hot water.