Executive Director of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association from 1992–2014

A Foreword by Shawn Hickey, FTCA

In life, there are few people whose impact is felt as deeply as that of Ed Sauter. A dear friend, mentor, and colleague, Ed has been the quiet, guiding force that has brought us all together. Unlike a singer whose voice fills a room, Ed’s voice was rarely heard in the traditional sense. Instead, he chose the art of listening—creating space for others to share their thoughts, ideas, and dreams. Through his unique ability to listen, Ed allowed the collective voices of our group to shine.

We are a diverse community of suppliers, architects, engineers, and contractors, each of us contributing our own perspective to the whole. But what ties us together, what has allowed us to truly connect, is Ed. In many ways, he was our maestro—leading without dominating, guiding without imposing. He understood that the most beautiful symphony comes from the harmony of many voices working together.

Whether it was in meetings, over the phone, or at Association gatherings, each of us has our own story of how Ed made us feel heard, valued, and understood. His ability to connect, to make each individual feel like their voice mattered, is what made him not just a leader but a friend to us all. It is through Ed’s vision and quiet leadership that this Association has grown, evolved, and thrived. 

Our group success reflects his legacy—a legacy of connection, collaboration, and above all, listening. We are grateful to Ed for bringing us together, and we honor him by continuing our connections and remembering to reach down the ladder to help others. This is the story Ed would be proud of. This is what Ed would want us to hear!

We have lost a dear friend and my mentor, but as we continue the work Ed so passionately believed in, we carry his spirit forward. And every now and then, with a glass of red Cabernet in hand, we’ll take a moment to just listen—just as Ed would have wanted.

Thank you, Ed. Rest easy.

Obituary: James Edward Sauter, FTCA

Survivor of the infamous bear bite at Lake Vermilion, James Edward (“Ed”) Sauter died many years later on February 21, 2025, due to complications of prostate cancer. He was surrounded by family and music in the beautiful, prairie-style home he designed.

On August 11, 1948, Ed was born on a kitchen table in rural Iowa County with the help of his future father-in-law, a University of Iowa medical student. He was the second of Jim and Ruth Ada Sauter’s seven children. Well-known for hard work as well as high school antics, he was a left-handed pitcher for English Valley, while he served as an altar boy, delivered milk in those old-timey glass bottles, built homes, and managed the clubhouse at Knoll Ridge Country Club. To balance this, he was a regular at the after-hours poker games above the North English movie theater, and got in some trouble with his dad and the local sheriff over a minor car crash while transporting contraband pyrotechnics across state lines. From these quaint and quintessential origins, Ed went on to design and help build a life with Jan and their three daughters.

While getting his Bachelor of Architecture degree, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi scholastic honorary, Tau Beta Pi engineering honorary, and the Sigma Tau Delta architecture honorary. After a long summer of hard work surveying structures in the US for fallout shelters, he learned that he had been awarded the American Institute of Architects Foundation Scholarship; he might have purchased his very own set of golf clubs at that point. 

As Iowa State’s married student housing was quite a bargain at $85/month, Jan and Ed married in 1971. Moving to Mount Vernon in 1975, this utility also influenced their decision to buy a car that matched the color of the gravel road where they lived. Later, the ever-practical guy poured a concrete parking area as a tribute to their 20th anniversary and their solid relationship so the girls could skate, draw with chalk, and ride their bikes.

After finding a beautiful 1854 home to restore, Jan and Ed began their life and work in the Mount Vernon community. Their acreage welcomed friends and neighbors for picnics and parties where many wandering and orphaned animals became pets; gardens, play structures, and a goat barn, as well as many other projects for restoration, were ongoing. Young, energetic and always curious, the world was their oyster, but they found their pearl in Mount Vernon and never left.

Upon graduating, Ed worked at two firms where his mentoring contributed to his love of collaboration and many friendships. After passing his boards, he started his first company, Design Collective. He was excited to be involved with early Kirkwood Community College projects for energy efficient and passive solar residential homes. He also worked with the Farmers Home Administration to bring many affordable senior housing units to eastern Iowa. Throughout his remaining years, Ed and his partners continued to be based in Mount Vernon and provide architectural services across eastern Iowa.

Ed took his leadership to a new level in the late 1980s when he became involved with a building industry start-up business, which he helped move to Ames. It seemed to his daughters that the cramped motel with an outdoor pool and fast food next door wasn’t such a bad “summer home.” Through these connections, Ed became to understand the big world of concrete. And a few years later, when both the Tilt-Up Concrete Association and the Concrete Foundations Association were looking for interim managers, Ed was offered what became his dream job. He remains highly regarded throughout the domestic concrete industry as a passionate, trustworthy, and engaging friend to the great many that he was privileged to work alongside. 

He was a quiet and patient leader who loved working with others and, when home, he turned his attention to Mount Vernon where he worked to highlight the historic and vibrant town that he loved. Many Saturdays were blocked off for Mount Vernon Historic Preservation work and he, along with many others at the Community Development Group, helped put Mount Vernon on the map as one of those great small towns in America.

Ed loved that his home was always filled with games, laughter, delicious food, and music as his friends and family would gather. He played violin, theremin, and piano serviceably, and passed these adequate talents to his offspring (Rachel may have benefited most from this). He was an avid golfer with at least a single hole-in-one and he probably could have, almost, been a semipro. This interest was not inherited by his children, which was one of his few disappointments in life. The girls made up for it by perfecting some of his favorite foods such as banana cream pie, homemade eggnog, and cinnamon rolls (Claire’s were the best).

In addition to these hobbies, he and his family still found time to travel. While dragging his daughters around the US and Europe, he was able to capture photographs of buildings from cathedrals to tilt-up parking structures as the girls stood beside him but not in the photos. Ed also believed he spoke German pretty well. He climbed Machu Picchu (but only took Lauren on that trip for some reason), cruised the Greek Isles with Jan, and took his grandson all over the North American continent. He flew on questionable airlines so that he could enjoy the finest wines, however, none of these were left behind for his family to enjoy.

Dearly loving and loved by his family, he took great pride in his daughters (most of the time) and was thankful he got to meet and enjoy all his grandchildren.

To honor Ed’s life, please be a little kinder and more accepting of all who are with us in this moment. In remembering one of Concrete Construction Magazine’s “10 Most Influential People in the Concrete Industry,” keep a firm grip on the truth, a solid understanding of how your actions affect others, and pour love into the world.

Ed began his professional involvement in the concrete industries through board service to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association and in 1992—when attending a meeting also held at WOC—he agreed to take over as interim director. He continued in the position for 23 years, bringing passion, commitment, and leadership to the organization. Look for expanded coverage of Ed’s career in an upcoming issue of Tilt-Up Today.

In Closing: A Reflection from Clay Fischer, FTCA

What can I say about Ed Sauter?

He wasn’t just a great friend—he was also a great mentor.

We grew especially close during road trips for the TCA’s Certified Tilt-Up Contractors peer audits. Somehow, we always found ourselves on one “adventure” or another—accidentally, of course!

Ed had a truly wonderful sense of humor. Along with Shawn Hickey, the three of us were always giving each other a hard time—but always in good fun.

I was incredibly fortunate that Ed was so generous with his knowledge and experience. It’s hard to believe he’s gone. To honor his memory, Jeanne and I made a gift to Tilt Lab—something that felt right, knowing how much he believed in supporting the future of the industry he helped shape.

I’ll miss him terribly.

Editor’s Note: Honoring a Legacy Through Tilt Lab

The heartfelt tribute above was shared by Clay Fischer, FTCA, a member of the Tilt Lab Board of Directors. In memory of Ed Sauter, Clay and his wife Jeanne made a generous $50,000 contribution to Tilt Lab. Their support of the organization now totals nearly $100,000.

As the philanthropic partner of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, Tilt Lab’s mission is to cultivate emerging techniques, technologies, and ideas with promising applicability for the tilt-up concrete construction industry. The Fischers’ gift stands as a powerful tribute to Ed’s legacy and belief in innovation.

To learn more about Tilt Lab—or to make a contribution in Ed’s honor—please visit tiltlab.org.