Boards & Committees
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is led by business, civic and community leaders and industry experts.
The Partnership's 2020 Board and Committee Members
See below for members of The Partnership's Board of Directors and other boards, committees and councils.
2020 Greater Des Moines Partnership Board: Executive Committee
| Name |
Representing |
| Tom Mahoney, Chair |
ITA Group, Inc. |
| Fred Buie, Vice Chair |
Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Co. |
| Rowena Crosbie, Vice Chair |
Tero International, Inc. |
| Mike McCoy, Secretary/Treasurer |
NCMIC |
| Kathryn Kunert, Past Chair |
MidAmerican Energy Company |
| Doug Beech |
Casey's General Stores, Inc. |
| Hon. Robert Brownell |
Polk County |
| Jay Byers |
Greater Des Moines Partnership |
| Jake Christensen |
Christensen Development |
| Jeff Chungath |
Telligen |
| Marta Codina |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| Hon. Frank Cownie |
City of Des Moines |
| Miriam Erickson Brown |
Anderson Erickson Dairy |
| Christy Gooding |
GuideOne Insurance |
| Cory Harris |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Mike Helak |
U.S. Bank |
| Dan Houston |
Principal |
| Steve Lacy |
Meredith Corporation |
| Hon. Gary Lorenz |
City of Ankeny |
| Gene Meyer |
Greater Des Moines Partnership |
| Beth Nigut |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Judd O'Connor |
Corteva Agriscience™ |
| Gary Palmer |
Prairie Meadows |
| Dan Pitcher |
FBL Financial Group, Inc. |
| Darren Rebelez |
Casey's General Stores, Inc. |
| Betty Ridout |
Bankers Trust |
| Bob Ritz |
MercyOne |
| Jeff Rommel |
Nationwide |
| John Ruan IV |
Ruan Companies |
| Eric Simon |
Norwalk Chamber of Commerce |
| Jessica Snyder |
GuideOne Insurance |
| David Stark |
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines |
| Hallie Still-Caris |
Nyemaster Goode, P.C. |
| Scott Sundstrom |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Andrew Traeger |
John Deere |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Greater Des Moines Partnership Board: Directors
| Name |
Representing |
| Tom Mahoney, Chair |
ITA Group, Inc. |
| Fred Buie, Vice Chair |
Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Co. |
| Rowena Crosbie, Vice Chair |
Tero International, Inc. |
| Mike McCoy, Secretary/Treasurer |
NCMIC |
| Kathryn Kunert, Past Chair |
MidAmerican Energy Company |
| Tom Ahart |
Des Moines Public Schools |
| Robert Andeweg |
City of Urbandale |
| Kim Augspurger |
Saxton, Inc. |
| Doug Beech |
Casey's General Stores, Inc. |
| Robert Brownell |
Polk County |
| Brad Buck |
Waukee Community School District |
| Elisabeth Buck |
United Way of Central Iowa |
| Jay Byers |
Greater Des Moines Partnership |
| Jake Christensen |
Christensen Development |
| Jeff Chungath |
Telligen |
| Don Coffin |
Ruan Companies/Bankers Trust |
| Tim Coonan |
Davis Brown Law Firm |
| Ted Corrigan |
Des Moines Water Works |
| Frank Cownie |
City of Des Moines |
| Jessie Cruise |
Young Professionals Connection |
| Rob Denson |
Des Moines Area Community College |
| Greg Edwards |
Catch Des Moines |
| Miriam Erickson Brown |
Anderson Erickson Dairy |
| Rosalind Fox |
John Deere |
| Amy Friedrich |
Principal |
| Steve Gaer |
City of West Des Moines |
| Joe Gatto |
City of Des Moines |
| Rachel Gocken |
Warren County Economic Development Corporation |
| Sarah Gomez |
Midwest Partnership Development Corporation |
| Christy Gooding |
GuideOne Insurance |
| Cory Harris |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Tom Harty |
Meredith Corporation |
| Mike Helak |
U.S. Bank |
| Rebecca Hillmer |
Adel Partners Chamber of Commerce |
| Patti Hood |
Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Billi Hunt |
Cultivation Corridor |
| Scott Jean |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Tessie Johnson |
PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Sid Juwarker |
Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce |
| Karl Keeler |
MercyOne |
| Kay Kemp |
Voya Financial |
| Kristi Knous |
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines |
| Kyle Krause |
Kum & Go |
| Kathryn Kunert |
MidAmerican Energy Company |
| Brian Laurenzo |
Brick Gentry, P.C. |
| Tom Leners |
Madison County Development Group |
| Gary Lorenz |
City of Ankeny |
| Jessica Maldonado |
Clive Chamber of Commerce |
| Marty Martin |
Drake University |
| Gene Meyer |
Greater Des Moines Partnership |
| Tod Moriarty |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| Chris Nelson |
West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce |
| Beth Nigut |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Judd O'Connor |
Corteva Agriscience™ |
| Gary Palmer |
Prairie Meadows |
| Dan Pitcher |
FBL Financial Group, Inc. |
| Darren Rebelez |
Casey's General Stores, Inc. |
| Betty Ridout |
Bankers Trust |
| Jeff Rommel |
Nationwide |
| Jeff Russell |
Delta Dental of Iowa |
| Eric Simon |
Norwalk Chamber of Commerce |
| Jessica Snyder |
GuideOne Insurance |
| David Stark |
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines |
| Hallie Still-Caris |
Nyemaster Goode, P.C. |
| Scott Sundstrom |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Rick Tollakson |
Hubbell Realty Company |
| Mike Tousley |
The Weitz Company |
| Georgia Van Gundy |
Hy-Vee, Inc. |
| Steve Van Oort |
Polk County |
| Teri Wahlig |
ChildServe |
| Angela Walker Franklin |
Des Moines University |
| Shannon Welch |
Register Media |
| Wendy Wintersteen |
Iowa State University |
| Steve Zumbach |
Belin McCormick, P.C. |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Affiliate Presidents' Council
| Name |
Representing |
| Eric Simon, Chair |
Affiliate Presidents' Council |
| Julia Johnson, Past Chair |
Affiliate Presidents' Council |
| Rebecca Hillmer |
Adel Partners Chamber of Commerce |
| Steve Olsen |
Altoona Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Patti Hood |
Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Crystal Trunnel |
Bondurant Chamber of Commerce |
| Matt Monson |
Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Jessica Maldonado |
Clive Chamber of Commerce |
| Sid Juwarker |
Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce |
| Randy Sackett |
FuseDSM |
| Joel Mills |
Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Ben Butzke |
Grimes Chamber & Economic Development |
| Mark Kolpin |
Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Heather Hulen |
Indianola Chamber of Commerce |
| Stephanie Van Veldhuizen |
Johnston Chamber of Commerce |
| Kevin Stittsworth |
Knoxville Chamber of Commerce |
| Jerry Parkin |
Madison County Chamber of Commerce |
| Travis Stanley |
Norwalk Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Mark Putnam |
Pella Area Community & Economic Development (PACE) |
| Hon. Curt Gause |
Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce |
| Jon Johnson |
Polk City Chamber and Economic Development Corp. |
| Michele Reeves |
Urbandale Chamber of Commerce |
| Bob Baumgart |
Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Chris Nelson |
West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce |
| Shelby Bobbett |
Des Moines West Side Chamber of Commerce |
| Louisa Dykstra |
Windsor Heights Chamber of Commerce |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Economic Development Board
| Name |
Representing |
| Todd Ashby |
Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization |
| Doug Beech |
Casey's General Stores, Inc. |
| Tony Braida |
Bankers Trust |
| Brian Buethe |
Grimes Chamber and Economic Development |
| Kristi Christensen |
John Deere Des Moines Works |
| Ted Corrigan |
Des Moines Water Works |
| Chris Costa |
Knapp Properties, Inc. |
| Rob Denson |
Des Moines Area Community College |
| Steve Dickinson |
Cozen O'Connor |
| Kevin Foley |
Des Moines International Airport |
| Amy Friedrich |
Principal |
| Grant Friesth |
Wells Fargo Bank |
| Steven Gaer |
R&R Realty Group |
| Jim Gelina |
Andersen Windows |
| Nick Gerhart |
Homesteaders Life Company |
| Greg Halford |
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations |
| Michael Helak |
U.S. Bank |
| Craig Ibsen |
NextLevel Ventures |
| Michael Kulik |
Davis Brown Law Firm |
| Kathryn Kunert |
MidAmerican Energy Company |
| Jay Larsen |
Nationwide |
| Jeff Lorenzen |
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company |
| Alex Lynch |
East Polk Innovation Collaboration |
| Jim Masterson |
LightEdge Solutions, Inc. |
| Brent Mathiesen |
FBL Financial Group, Inc. |
| Matt McCoy |
Polk County Board of Supervisors |
| Ginger Miller |
Corteva Agriscience™ |
| Lucas Nelson |
MedPharm Iowa |
| Gary Palmer |
Prairie Meadows |
| Steve Shupp |
Alliant Energy |
| Ross Wendell |
CenturyLink |
| Ben Woline |
EFCO |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Talent Development
| Name |
Representing |
| Beth Nigut, Chair |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Annette Adams |
Nationwide |
| Naki Allen |
Des Moines Public Schools |
| Lori Chesser |
Davis Brown Law Firm |
| Marci Chickering |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Lonnette Dafney |
Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines |
| Rob Denson |
Des Moines Area Community College |
| Rachel Falahpour |
Iowa WORKS/Iowa Workforce Development |
| Justin Haas |
Young Professionals Connection |
| Chick Herbert |
NCMIC |
| Kate Hightshoe |
Hubbell Realty Company |
| MD Isley |
Des Moines Area Community College |
| Damon Jackson |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| Dave Leto |
Palmer Group |
| Sheena Mahan |
NCMIC |
| Renee Miller |
United Way of Central Iowa |
| Melissa Ness |
Aureon |
| Greg Nichols |
Iowa Student Loan |
| Lisa Remy |
West Des Moines Community Schools |
| Karen Rieck |
FBL Financial Group, Inc. |
| Nick Roach |
Paragon IT |
| Jackie Rolow |
SHAZAM, Inc. |
| Matt Romkey |
Mercy College of Health Sciences |
| Mondale Smith |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Maureen Taylor |
Des Moines Public Schools |
| Georgia Van Gundy |
Hy-Vee, Inc. |
| Scott Venerable |
Businesssolver |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Business Resources and Community Development Board
| Name |
Representing |
| Betty Ridout, Chair |
Bankers Trust |
| Brad Botos |
Great Western Bank |
| Elaine Castelline |
Prairie Meadows |
| Justin Brown |
Downing Construction |
| Howard Eaton |
AFLAC |
| Craig Erickson |
Shive-Hattery |
| Jenica Johnson |
Mid Iowa SBDC |
| Karen Kuhn |
Nationwide |
| Sara Larson |
West Bank |
| Kevin Lentz |
Performance Marketing |
| Joe Nguyen |
Anytime Fitness |
| Mark Roth |
BrownWinick Law Firm |
| Mike Vaughn |
BDI Signs |
| Troy Vincent |
Navigate Wellbeing |
| Eric White |
Estes Construction |
| Geoff Wood |
Gravitate |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Downtown Development Board
| Name |
Representing |
| Jake Christensen, Co-Chair |
Christensen Development |
| Hallie Still-Caris, Co-Chair |
Nyemaster Goode, P.C. |
| Emily Abbas |
Bankers Trust |
| Mike Abbott |
Faegre Baker Daniels |
| Nate Barber |
Belin McCormick, P.C. |
| Alex Briggs |
Nationwide |
| David Brown |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Jay Byers |
Greater Des Moines Partnership |
| Steve Carlson |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| Jeff Chelesvig |
Des Moines Performing Arts |
| Frank Cownie |
City of Des Moines |
| Chris Curran |
R&R Realty Group |
| Lorin Ditzler |
Downtown Chamber |
| Bob Douglas |
Davis Brown Law Firm |
| Kevin Farley |
Principal |
| Kyle Gamble |
Hubbell Realty Company |
| Ryan Grant |
Iowa Wolves |
| Sharon Krause |
Kum & Go |
| Kathryn Kunert |
MidAmerican Energy Company |
| Austin Lewis |
Downtown Neighborhood Association |
| Josh Mandelbaum |
City of Des Moines |
| Jenny McCoy |
Meredith Corporation |
| Matt McCoy |
Polk County Board of Supervisors |
| Gene Meyer |
Greater Des Moines Partnership |
| Andrea Morse |
ARAG |
| Jonathan Napier |
BrownWinick Law Firm |
| Gunnar Olson |
Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization |
| Sid Ramsey |
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines |
| Dave Remund |
Drake University |
| Paul Rottenberg |
Orchestrate Hospitality |
| John Ruan IV |
Ruan Companies |
| Kris Saddoris |
Economic Development Chair |
| Scott Sanders |
City of Des Moines |
| Carissa Schmidt |
Operation Downtown Chair |
| Brad Schoenfelder |
Ryan Companies |
| Julie Stewart |
Downtown Events Group |
| Todd Strother |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Sandy Swanson |
MercyOne |
| Greg Wattier |
Slingshot Architecture |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Communications Board
| Name |
Representing |
| Christy Gooding, Chair |
GuideOne Insurance |
| Emily Abbas |
Bankers Trust |
| Sarah Boese |
Polk County Board of Supervisors |
| Sara Bonney |
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines |
| Annette Bravard |
Pella Corporation |
| Sarah Buckley |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Steve Carlson |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| Sally Dix |
Bravo Greater Des Moines |
| Angie Fagervik-Chia |
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines |
| Kate Gibson Overby |
Kum & Go |
| Scott Gojkovich |
NCMIC |
| Tina Hoffman |
MidAmerican Energy Company |
| Erin Hockman |
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority |
| Lydia Hornung |
John Deere Des Moines Works |
| Erica Jensen |
Principal |
| Brock Konrad |
Catch Des Moines |
| Mike Moore |
Nationwide |
| Gunnar Olson |
Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization |
| Dean Kathleen Richardson |
Drake University |
| Sharyl Sauer |
Corteva Agriscience™ |
| Kevin Stittsworth |
Knoxville Hospital |
| Joey Taylor-Moon |
Hubbell Realty Company |
| Andy TeBockhorst |
United Way of Central Iowa |
| Laura Vanden Bosch |
MercyOne |
| Nancy Wiles |
FBL Financial Group, Inc. |
| Jen Schulte |
City of Des Moines |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Marketing and Public Relations Committees
| Marketing Committee |
|
| Jordan Beynon |
Lessing-Flynn |
| Ryan Bratvold |
BrownWinick Law Firm |
| Sara Brown |
Des Moines Business Record |
| Kim Connors |
McGill Junge Wealth Management |
| Carly Flaws |
Goodwill of Central Iowa |
| Katie Forst |
Exec1 Aviation |
| Cindy Hughes Anliker |
UnitedHealthcare |
| Kendra Kelly |
Meyocks |
| Renee Murphy |
CJM Financial |
| Mark Nichols |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| Alex Rich |
Trilix Marketing Group |
| Laura Sarcone |
Des Moines Water Works |
| Rachel Wegmann |
Blackbird Investments |
|
|
| Public Relations Committee |
|
| Jolene Bopp |
American Heart Association |
| Chris Conetzkey |
Des Moines Business Record |
| Carly Flaws |
Goodwill of Central Iowa |
| Tom Flynn |
Lessing-Flynn |
| Kristin Hurd |
Hurd Real Estate |
| Kayla Kovarna |
Des Moines International Airport |
| Jon Miller |
Trilix Marketing Group |
| Laura Sarcone |
Des Moines Water Works |
| Elizabeth Sporrer |
Vermeer Corporation |
| Sarah Todd |
MercyOne |
| Amy Varcoe |
Waukee Community School District |
| Nancy Wiles |
FBL Financial Group, Inc. |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Operation Downtown
| Name |
Representing |
| Carissa Schmidt, Chair |
Principal |
| Michael Anderson |
Principal |
| Joe Baughman |
Nationwide |
| Lisa Coate |
Nationwide |
| Mike Crowley |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Chris Della Vedova |
Confluence |
| Niki DePhillips |
Kum & Go |
| John Egan |
Principal |
| James M. Grant Jr. |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Jeff Hatfield |
The Graham Group, Inc. |
| Rachel Holst |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| TJ Jacobs |
Blackbird Investments |
| Karen Karr |
BrownWinick Law Firm |
| Kent Mauck |
Encore Properties |
| David Mazzarella |
Real Capital Solutions/Ryan Companies |
| Cindy McCauley |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Randy Minear |
Terrus Real Estate Group |
| Cheryl Moore |
Hubbell Realty Company |
| Erin Olson-Douglas |
City of Des Moines |
| Angie Pfannkuch |
Christensen Development |
| Joe Price |
R&R Realty Group |
| Sid Ramsey |
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines |
| Kevin Redig |
Meredith Corporation |
| John Ruan IV |
Ruan Companies |
| Tim Rypma |
RE Properties |
| John Schwechel |
Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines |
| Steve Stupka |
Lawmark Capital, Inc. |
| Sandra Swanson |
MercyOne |
| Chris Terhark |
Deloitte |
| John Tyler |
Polk County |
| Greg Wattier |
Slingshot Architecture |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Inclusion Council
| Name |
Representing |
| Kate Hightshoe, Chair |
Hubbell Realty Company |
| Micah Kiel, Vice Chair |
Wells Fargo & Co. |
| Vicki Comegys, Past Chair |
Catch Des Moines |
| Amanda Banks |
BirdDogHR |
| Kristi Burma |
Athene |
| Becky Coady |
ABI Foundation |
| Lisa Coate |
Nationwide |
| Jacob Cummings |
Des Moines Public Schools |
| Mark Danes |
Des Moines University |
| Marvin DeJear |
Des Moines Area Community College/Evelyn K. Davis Center |
| Samantha Digmann |
Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa |
| Sharon Fife |
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa |
| Whitney Ford |
Bankers Trust |
| Joe Gonzalez |
Latino Festival / DMPD |
| Sherry Gupta |
CultureAll |
| Heather Hooks |
Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines |
| Nu Huynh |
Iowa Asian Alliance |
| Negus S. Imhotep |
Urban Dreams |
| Robin Jenkins |
EMC Insurance Companies |
| Jesse Jordan |
Iowa National Guard |
| Michelle Krefft |
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
| Dr. Erin Lane |
Drake University |
| Greg Lin |
Young Professionals Connection |
| Tiffany Menke |
Urbandale Chamber of Commerce |
| Sherri Nielsen |
Easter Seals Iowa |
| Jackie Norris |
Goodwill of Central Iowa |
| Tim Perkins |
Iowa Commission on Native American Affairs |
| Amanda Porter |
Corteva Agriscience™ |
| Courtney Reyes |
One Iowa |
| Claudia Schabel |
Schabel Solutions |
| Amber Smith |
Catch Des Moines |
| Pat Steele |
Central Iowa Works |
| Sailu Timbo |
Hy-Vee, Inc. |
| Kim Vasquez |
Aerotek |
| Amy Vokoun |
Palmer Group |
| Angela Weekley |
Veridian Credit Union |
| Nicholas Wuertz |
Lutheran Services in Iowa |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 International Trade Council
| Name |
Representing |
| Jayne Armstrong |
U.S. Small Business Administration |
| Daryl Bouwkamp |
Vermeer Corporation |
| Tony Braida |
Bankers Trust Company |
| Kavilash Chawla |
Baton Global, LLC |
| Steve Dickinson |
Cozen O'Connor |
| Phil Harrington |
Kuder |
| Adam Hill |
Scarbrough International |
| Billi Hunt |
Cultivation Corridor |
| Aaron Johnson |
Accumold |
| Peggy Kerr |
Iowa Economic Development Authority |
| Li Zhao Mandelbaum |
China Iowa Group |
| Julie Masimore |
Bankers Trust |
| CJ Morton |
Des Moines/Crossroads Cold Storage |
| Tom Murphy |
Accumold |
| Doug Roozeboom |
RSM |
| Jason Ross |
Davis Brown Law Firm |
| Chris Sackett |
BrownWinick Law Firm |
| Alyson Schroer |
Scarbrough International |
| Tim Woods |
International Traders of Iowa |
| |
Updated Jan. 2020 |
2020 Young Professionals Connection
| Name |
Representing |
| Justin Haas, President |
American Red Cross Serving Greater Iowa |
| Jessie Cruise, Past President |
Principal Financial Group |
| Gregory Lin, President-Elect |
Drake University |
| Vish Gajerawala, Secretary and Treasurer |
John Deere |
| Abigail Weatherwax, Community Engagement Director |
Intoxalock |
| Ashley Randel, Professional Development Chair |
TPI Plumbing Contractors/Vibe & Co. |
| Addison O'Connor, Volunteer Chair |
Kathleen Stahl Travel |
| Maddie Wilcox, Civic Chair |
Advocacy Strategies |
| Megan Winge, Diversity and Culture Chair |
NCP Inc. |
| Ngozi Igbokwe, Marketing Chair |
Principal Financial Group |
| Patrick Kading, Membership Chair |
Global Atlantic Financial Group/Iowa Army National Guard |
| Amal Barre, IMPACT Downtown Chair |
CommonBond Communities |
| Amy Luong, Social Chair |
LS2group |
| Jacob Boyle, Athletics Coordinator |
Central Health Chiropractic |
| Kaylea Wilde, Social Media Coordinator |
Work & People Analytics |
| Samantha Schwarz, Webmaster |
John Deere |
| |
Updated September 2020 |