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William Krause
Originally from Eldora, Iowa, W. A. Krause graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Public Relations in 1957. In 1959, W. A. Krause formed a partnership with his father-in-law, T.S. Gentle, and pioneered the convenience store concept where townspeople could purchase milk, bread and eggs in addition to their gasoline.
Today there are over 455 Kum & Go stores in 13 states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Colorado, Arkansas, Wyoming and Wisconsin) serving over 360,000 customers each day. Kum & Go is Iowa’s largest family-owned chain and the 22nd largest in the United States.
Mr. Krause’s distinguished professional career focused on the core business of convenience stores. In 2005, the industry’s leading publication, Convenience Store People, named Krause one of the Top Ten Most Influential CEOs. However, his success is not limited to the confines of the convenience store industry.
Krause is known for his strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit that has driven him into many other business ventures. Krause's financial prowess and strong management helped create Liberty Bank, the fastest growing bank in Iowa, with over $1 billion assets in Iowa and Florida charter banks. In addition to his enterprises, Krause serves on many philanthropic boards and gives significant support to a wide variety of community organizations, especially Catholic education.
Bill started working with Holy Family Grade School in 1996 when he was asked by the principal to talk with the students. He agreed and taught eighth-graders the Junior Achievement curriculum every Friday for several years. Bill was a great motivator for the students. Since many of them came from homes where parents had limited formal education, the students needed to understand that education was the great equalizer and what it took to be successful. Bill was a great example to the students he taught. Over time he invited his employees to visit the school and work with the class as well. What developed was a wonderful relationship between Bill, his company and the students. The fire of enthusiasm for Holy Family and its students was lit!
Holy Family is an inner-city school serving a diverse, low-income population where over 70% of the students are on free and reduced lunch programs and where most families receive significant financial aid. A majority of families speak English as a second language and are immigrants or refugees from the Sudan, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, El Salvador, Kenya, Laos, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Over 60% of the children are the first in the family to be educated beyond grade school. As a result, the majority of students have higher levels of education than their parents or anyone else in their family. This has begun a cycle that will help elevate the possibilities for generations to come!
With his work at Holy Family, Bill has rallied others, some who were not connected to Catholic education, to help the school. The results were outstanding. He helped increase enrollment by helping with a capital campaign to create an endowment that is now close to $3,000,000 and provides significant financial support to the school and parents for tuition assistance. He also helps with regular fund raising efforts such as a golf outing and auction.
Holy Family School is an inner-city Catholic school success story. With Bill’s leadership and philanthropy, the school has survived and injects life into a struggling part of the city of Des Moines. His work has helped offer a diverse, low-income population an opportunity to receive a Catholic education.
Almost all Holy Family students go to Dowling Catholic High School. At Dowling, Bill is on the Honorary Foundation Board, and is a regular supporter of Annual Appeal. The company he co-founded Kum & Go convenience stores, sponsors the Alumni event each year. He is a supporter of the annual golf outing to raise funds for financial aid and he gave significant support in 2001 to begin a plan to enhance teacher compensation. Bill also sponsors the Jennie Lillis Scholarship each year. The scholarship gives $2,500 each to two students who exemplify the leadership, service and dedication that Jennie showed at Dowling Catholic and the University of Iowa. This spring, Bill and his family made a lead gift of $3,000,000 to Dowling Catholic High School’s We Believe capital campaign to renovate the classrooms in the school. It was the largest gift in the history of the school.
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