Tyler Freye, our manager of customer operations in Iowa, has been an Alliant Energy employee for 10 years. He credits our company values with deepening his understanding of the problems many in our communities face.
“Before getting more involved, I did not believe there were kids sleeping without beds, and kids going to school hungry, with their school lunch possibly being the only meal they get in a day,” he said. “I don't want a child's future or well-being to be negatively impacted by decisions they have no control over.”
Freye’s volunteerism goes back to several years before he joined our company. As a minor league hockey coach, the positive experience he had with kids sparked his interest in finding more opportunities to contribute.
Connections forged through Alliant Energy led to a direct relationship with United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States (UWDAT). Freye now serves on its investment review panel and helps determine the funding allotments that best allow UWDAT to fulfill its mission, bringing community partners together to reduce and prevent poverty on a scale no one can accomplish alone. His responsibilities include not only analyzing and advising about grant applications, but also visiting funded partner locations to witness the operations firsthand and get to know the staff.
Freye helps recruit volunteers and donors for various United Way events and fundraising efforts. He lends his expertise to UWDAT’s Community Impact and Over the Edge Advisory committees and has recently been active in the Jones County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, which builds beds for kids in need.
When he reflects on the people who have been instrumental in bringing him to where he is now, Freye first thinks of his wife.
“She has always been a person who does as much as she can to help other people,” he said. “She opened my eyes to the opportunity to do good in our communities.”
We recognize Tyler Freye with a 2024 Values in Practice (VIP) award, an honor that celebrates employees who donate time and energy to the communities we serve.
All 2024 VIPs receive a $500 grant to donate to the nonprofit of their choice. Freye’s VIP grant is going to the Greater Dubuque Community Foundation’s Monticello Give to Grow fund.
We thank Freye and the other VIPs for how they act for tomorrow, do the right thing, make things better and care for others – the very values that shape everything we do.