Veteran. Engineer. Neighbor. Candidate.
“The highest form of praise in that community was that someone was a good neighbor and a hard worker.”
Born and raised on a farm in northwest Iowa, Roger Korenberg came from a small world — a one-room country school, a graduating class of 45 — but he never let that limit him. He applied for and received a congressional appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, where he graduated in the top 15% of his class, often carrying an overload schedule.
That Midwest ethic — work hard, be useful, be a good neighbor — has guided everything since.
Congressional appointment. Graduated top 15%. Validated courses, overload schedule every semester.
Earned navigator wings.
Flying missions including combat support in the Congo, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, and Southeast Asia. Married Jerri Campbell of Rock Rapids, Iowa.
Distinguished Graduate.
CH-53 helicopter pilot, classified combat missions. Inserted and recovered reconnaissance teams behind enemy lines.
February 1971: Helicopter took fire, crashed in trees, North Vietnam. Crew survived. Roger back flying in one week.
Three Distinguished Flying Crosses. Purple Heart. Numerous Air Medals.
Helicopter rescue standby for Apollo missions.
Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH.
Classified mission: Recovery of de-orbited reconnaissance space capsules. Hand-selected for the assignment.
“The best assignment of my career.”
30+ years. 7,500+ military flight hours. Retired 1989.
After retiring in 1989, Roger worked as an Air Pollution Engineer for the California Air Resources Board. In the mid-1990s, he and Jerri made a decision: come home to the Midwest.
They bought a 40-acre farm near California, Missouri, in Moniteau County — and Roger went to work as an Environmental Engineer for the State of Missouri, focusing on alternative energy, solar, and biomass. He retired from Missouri state service in 2013.
Today, Roger is active in adult agriculture education at the local high school, his church, the county Democratic Club, and Moniteau Christian Ministries Center. He tends his hobby farm and keeps a large stack of books he still intends to read.
His wife Jerri passed away in 2019. His family and faith have carried him forward. He believes — as he always has — that a good neighbor shows up.
That is why he is running.
“District 58 deserves results, not autopilot.”
Roger Korenberg is not a career politician. He has never held elected office. What he has done is spend 30 years doing exactly what was asked of him under difficult circumstances, then spend another 24 years as a public servant and neighbor in this community.
He is running because the seat has been uncontested for years. Because rural communities deserve a representative who fights for them — not assumes the job. Because he believes that practical problem-solving, honest representation, and a willingness to show up are still the right qualifications for public office.