David Diers - President
David has always been a car guy and enjoyed everything mechanical. He grew up on a farm just south of Brighton, Iowa, and started following his love of the automobile early in high school. David ran his own automotive repair, sales, and towing business for many years. He now works for the American Automobile Association (AAA) as an Automotive Consultant for repair facilities in Iowa and Nebraska.
While his cars of choice have always been muscle cars, he has quickly grown to love the old Brass Era cars, and his two sons will surely follow in his footsteps. He enjoys working in the shop every weekend, getting his hands dirty, and teaching his sons to do the same. Their current project is a 1972 GMC Jimmy restoration project.
David joined the board in 2016, became President in 2022, and is our safety and logistics coordinator. Watch for the AAA Car; that is Dave keeping us on track. He helps us ensure that each event goes off without glitches and everyone comes back Safe and Sound!
While his cars of choice have always been muscle cars, he has quickly grown to love the old Brass Era cars, and his two sons will surely follow in his footsteps. He enjoys working in the shop every weekend, getting his hands dirty, and teaching his sons to do the same. Their current project is a 1972 GMC Jimmy restoration project.
David joined the board in 2016, became President in 2022, and is our safety and logistics coordinator. Watch for the AAA Car; that is Dave keeping us on track. He helps us ensure that each event goes off without glitches and everyone comes back Safe and Sound!
Mark Hempen - Vice President
Mark Hempen is a founding member of the Red Flag Motor Tour Board. He is the Foundation Director at Henry County Health Center in Mount Pleasant and a former New London City Councilman.
Mark served for several years as a representative on the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission and Regional Workforce Investment Board and spent 30 years as a regional broadcaster and supporter of events and activities in Southeast Iowa.
Mark served for several years as a representative on the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission and Regional Workforce Investment Board and spent 30 years as a regional broadcaster and supporter of events and activities in Southeast Iowa.
Mark is our Master of Ceremonies for our activities. He has never owned an antique automobile, although he would like to.
George Chapman - Treasurer
George is the Treasurer of the Red Flag Horseless Carriage Motor Tour. He is retired and living in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
George has served as an official and often as treasurer, of a dozen volunteer organizations from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains. He recently retired from classified advertising manager for the Vintage Motor Car Club of America’s Bulb Horn magazine.
George has served as an official and often as treasurer, of a dozen volunteer organizations from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains. He recently retired from classified advertising manager for the Vintage Motor Car Club of America’s Bulb Horn magazine.
Don Pauley - Secretary
Don is an original member of the Red Flag Motor Tour board. He is a retired electronics engineer living with his wife Martha near Clear Lake, Iowa. They have been involved with antique automobiles since 2007. Don and his brother Dick own five cars spanning the years 1910 to 1931. He holds several patents and was active in civic affairs for many years while living in Estes Park, Colorado.
In recent years he and Martha have been helping young people in Honduras obtain better educational opportunities.
Chuck Emry
Chuck’s geographical knowledge of the area around New London, Brighton, and Mount Pleasant, his many contacts, and his knowledge of all things mechanical help us create scenic new routes each year and support for cars needing assistance while on tour.
Jeff Krug
Jeff is a founding member of the board. Jeff recently retired from being the Caterpillar construction sales rep for nearly 35 years. He is pursuing his love of high performance cars and all that goes with them.
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Jeff fell in love with antique automobiles and the people involved with them on a fact-finding tour before the Red Flag Tour’s first event. He enjoys working with the board to produce a “must-attend” event in southeast Iowa.
Jeff is usually found in his shop preparing his Blown Alcohol Altered for a drag race at a track nearby |
Phil Graber
Phil’s first car was a 1951 Studebaker convertible he built while in Jr. High. He drove this car all through school, including his graduation from college with a major in Aeronautical Engineering. He still has that first Studebaker, which resides in the barn with Phil’s other Studebakers.
Phil still goes to the shop daily, working on his car collection and other cars from the used car business he runs with his son. Phil’s knowledge, shop space, and tools have been instrumental in restoring the Red Flag Tour’s mascot, our 1924 REO Firetruck, and the Model T truck.
James McDonald
Jim’s involvement with the antique car hobby spans over 60 years. He belongs to numerous antique auto clubs, sat on the board for the Des Moines Concours for 15 years, and held office in other clubs. He has participated in multiple Motor Ioway and other tours, was involved in the restoration of 1922 Detroit Electric, and drove the car on the first two Red Flag Tours.
Jim is a Private Investigator and has been self-employed for over 45 years. He is an appraiser and consultant on collector cars and collections. He has restored numerous automobiles and owns an extensive collection of specialty and vintage vehicles.
Jim is a Private Investigator and has been self-employed for over 45 years. He is an appraiser and consultant on collector cars and collections. He has restored numerous automobiles and owns an extensive collection of specialty and vintage vehicles.
Gerald Schnepf
Retired Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful, founding Director of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and founding Director of MotorMemories, Inc. Gerry was the originator of the Des Moines Concours d’Elegance over 16 years ago. He was the Motor Ioway tour coordinator for 14 years with over 20 regional tours containing dozens of vintage vehicles and traveling millions of miles without incident, including an interstate tour following the Great River Road along the Mississippi over 3,000 miles from Kenora, Ontario, Canada to Venice, Louisiana.
Bart Cummins
Bart Cummins joined the board in 2023. Bart is a buyer for West Liberty Foods. An Iowan at heart, Bart returned to the plains of Iowa in 2014 to care for his family. Before that, he lived in beautiful Colorado for 20 years. He enjoys golf, chocolate, and old cars.
Joseph Phillips
Joseph Phillips joined the Red Flag board in 2024. He is an Industrial Arts Instructor specializing in Automotive Repair at Southeast Polk Community School District. He also is the Registered Apprenticeship Coordinator there, seeking to bridge the gap between highschool and skilled trades. He is currently overseeing the student-led restoration work on our very own Model T pick-up Truck. Originally from Eastern Iowa, he now resides in Altoona with his wife Kristie. Together they have a collection of pre-war automobiles which they enjoy touring and showing. Joseph is also a board member of the Des Moines Region Antique Automobile Club of America, and on the Committee for the Des Moines Concourse. He brings with him decades of experience in bringing people together through a mutual love of cars; which includes getting young people involved with the hobby.
Wes Ranard
Wes joined the Red Flag Board in 2024 but is a familiar face as he has been a tour attendee, usually in his 1909 Mason, for many years. He grew up in an antique car family in the Des Moines area. He has fond memories of the HCCA Midwest Regional and Model T tours in the family Model T Center Door. After graduating from college with a Metallurgical Engineering degree, Wes went to work at Maytag in Newton, IA. He retired from Emerson Electric (Fisher Controls) in Marshalltown.
Wes and his wife, Sue, live in Newton and have two daughters and two granddaughters, all in Colorado. He enjoys driving and working on his two antique cars, a 1909 Mason and a 1920 Model T Center Door.
Wes and his wife, Sue, live in Newton and have two daughters and two granddaughters, all in Colorado. He enjoys driving and working on his two antique cars, a 1909 Mason and a 1920 Model T Center Door.