Mayor, judge and attorney - all roles Albert Habhab has played in Fort Dodge and in the State of Iowa. Judge Habhab was born and raised in Fort Dodge, where he and his wife Janet raised their two children. Judge Habhab has provided countless hours of service, leadership and guidance to his community, the legal system and the State of Iowa.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference - it does”—a quote from William James that embodies the principles by which Judge Habhab and his wife Janet have guided their lives. After completing law school and working as an attorney for a number of years, Judge Habhab was elected mayor of Fort Dodge and served from 1960 - 1974, the longest-serving mayor Fort Dodge has ever had. During his term as mayor, both Williams Drive and Veterans Bridge (on 1st Avenue South and over the railroad tracks) were built, creating much more efficient traffic flows through Fort Dodge. Mayor Habhab understood the need to do this, and took a strong stand in support of these two projects.
In March of 1975, Mr. Habhab was appointed to the bench in the 2nd Judicial District. This district covered between 10 and 12 counties, including Webster County. In 1987, he was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals, where he served until 1997. While serving on the Court of Appeals, fellow judges elected him as their judge.
Janet Habhab has also been a strong community supporter and has stood with her husband in the fulfillment of many endeavors to make Fort Dodge a better community in which to live and raise their family. Mrs. Habhab has also advocated for programs that promote strong family values, higher education and assistance for the disadvantaged members of the community. She has also been an active supporter of the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Judge Habhab and his wife Janet established a donor-advised fund with the Fort Dodge Community Foundation, as they wanted to continue to support projects and needs in the community. In addition, they wanted the flexibility of being able to support various institutions, simplify accounting and record-keeping and take advantage of the Endow Iowa Tax Credit Program created for community foundations in Iowa.
They are able to do this via their fund with the Community Foundation. By making a simple phone call to the Community Foundation to indicate what project the Habhabs would like to support, a simple “stroke of the pen”, his signature, is all it takes. The Community Foundation’s professional staff and financial advisors do the rest. The Habhabs’ generosity continues to help the Fort Dodge community grow and prosper.
Judge Albert and Janet Habhab continue to actively support the Fort Dodge community.