Board

Dylan DeClerck – Board President

Founder and Executive Director, Opportunity on Deck

Delphine Weiss

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

Vernon Delpesce – Board Treasurer and Secretary

Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Valley Church

Dr. Jennifer Groos

Physician

Founder and Executive Director, Opportunity on Deck

Dylan DeClerck – Board President

As a high school student at the age of 16, Dylan DeClerck spent the summer creating a baseball league, called Opportunity on Deck, to allow underserved and underprivileged elementary aged girls and boys to participate in a free sports experience. Since 2012 Dylan has served as the executive director of the organization and has helped grow the organization to serve thousands of participants, expand throughout central Iowa and offer a variety of youth development programs all without charging a single family. When Dylan isn’t focused on growing and improving Opportunity on Deck, he enjoys playing professional ultimate frisbee for the Minnesota Wind Chill.

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

Delphine Weiss

Delphine is interested in promoting wellness in our community. She is especially supportive of initiatives that encourage intergenerational connections and mental health among our residents. Holding a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Iowa and a MS in Gerontology from Minnesota State University-Mankato, currently she works as a mental health therapist. Delphine has volunteer experiences with Boy Scouts of America, Habitat for Humanity, and the Red Cross. She is trained in Stephen Ministry and has experience facilitating grief support groups.

Delphine enjoys cycling and hiking, and is especially fond of the Clive Greenbelt. Delphine and her husband Bob have lived in Clive since 2016. They have three grown sons and a loyal cockapoo named Cleo.

Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Valley Church

Vernon Delpesce – Board Treasurer and Secretary

Vernon serves as the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for Valley Church in West Des Moines, Iowa, and has worked with Valley Church since 2016. He also provides financial development consulting for small non-profit organizations both locally and nationally.

Prior to 2016, he fulfilled a 38-year career with the YMCA including fourteen years (2002-2015) serving as President/CEO of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. Previous YMCA experience includes serving as the Chief Operating Officer for the Toledo, Ohio YMCA (1996-2002), National Field Consultant for YMCA of the USA (1992-1996), and various positions with the YMCA of Greater Houston (1976-1991).

Vernon lives in West Des Moines, is married and has two adult children. He is a graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in Health and Physical Education. He serves on several local boards including Des Moines University’s Advisory Committee for Masters of Public Health, Simpson College’s Advisory Committee for Health Care Administration, Above and Beyond Cancer, and CHPcommunity.

Physician

Dr. Jennifer Groos

Dr. Groos is a board-certified pediatrician with 16 years of experience. She earned her medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and completed a pediatrics residency at University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital in Madison, WI.

While at Blank Children’s Hospital, she founded the Healthy Kids Program before joining Primary Health Care at the BEC clinic this summer. Dr. Groos is active in community and legislative advocacy about topics related to healthy eating and active living. She currently serves as Lead Faculty for the National Childhood Obesity in Primary Care (COPC) Quality Improvement project led by the American Academy of Pediatrics Institute on Healthy Childhood Weight (IHCW). Dr. Groos also leads the 5-2-1-0 Health Care Program in Iowa. She serves as the co-chair for the COACH network (childhood obesity advisor) for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity. She is a past-president of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, chair of the chapter committee on legislation, and founder and chair of the chapter committee on obesity. In 2018, she received the Iowa Medical Society Physician Community Service Award for her statewide child health promotion work.