Bringing YPC to D.C.

Last week, in our nation’s capital, all eyes were on the Des Moines community and the collective voice we brought to Washington D.C. Through top-notch leadership and execution, the Greater Des Moines Partnership delivered an extremely well-orchestrated event, bringing together our elected officials with individuals from nearly every possible background: civic and community leaders, schools and universities, business owners and large corporations, non-profits and entrepreneurs.

D.C. Priorities

The trip and discussion points were framed around the current Capital Crossroads Vision and our goal was to advocate as a collective voice on matters affecting Central Iowans, such as: 

• Expanding Central Iowa’s economy through international trade options
• The future of national health care 
• Immigration reform 
• How to leverage federal resources for the Central Iowa Bio Science Corridor
• Interconnecting federal K-12 education policy with Iowa’s reform efforts

We held discussions with panelists that were experts in their field and had breakfast at the Hart Senate office with Sen. Grassley, Sen. Harkin, Rep. Braley, Rep. Loebsack, Rep. Boswell, Rep. Latham and Rep. King, where we discussed the issues at hand, and how we could all work together to accomplish our common vision. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio addressed our group as well. Without getting too political, I can say that it was an extreme honor to hear Sen. Rubio speak; the entire crowd listened intently as he displayed a certain sincerity and charisma that definitely points to why he is a rising star in the political realm.

YPC's Voice in D.C.

I was honored to attend as the incoming president for the Young Professionals Connection. Every time I introduced our organization, and myself, people already knew who we were and all the amazing things we are doing. They wanted our opinion and input; they wanted to know how to further connect with the young professionals in our community. They want to hear out thoughts, ideas and input. It was an honor to represent our organization but I also realized that the issues at hand mean we still have a lot of work to do.

Not only did I come away from this trip with some incredible new connections, I got a first-hand experience looking at the issues affecting our neighbors and businesses. This re-energized me and my mission to help contribute to the overall success of our community through my actions and leadership, and I’m so very grateful for this experience.

Lindsay Alderman
YPC President-Elect