Greater Des Moines Partnership Announces Programming for 2025 Regional Summit

GREATER DES MOINES, IA (Aug. 15, 2025) – Leaders from across the Greater Des Moines region will gather to explore challenges and solution opportunities at the 2025 Regional Summit hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. On Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Iowa Events Center, attendees will take part in interactive breakout sessions, dynamic speakers and hands-on workshops focused on building a stronger, more connected region.   
 
2025 Regional Summit Programming Highlights Include: 

Welcome Remarks and Keynote Speaker 

• Miriam Erickson Brown, Chair and CEO of Anderson Erickson Dairy and Board Chair of The Partnership 

• Tiffany Tauscheck, President & CEO of The Partnership 

• Governor Kim Reynolds 

• James Chung, founder of Reach Advisors and nationally respected strategist on regional competitiveness. Learn more about Chung here. 

Breakout Sessions 

• Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions (Sponsored by Estes Construction): Moderated by Ryan Carroll, Senior Director of Regional Business Development at The Partnership, with panelists Gregg Schmidt, Manager of Preconstruction at Estes Construction and Melissa Burant, Supply Chain Project Manager at the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University, followed by an interactive workshop on strengthening local supply chains. 

• Driving Workforce and Local Economies: Moderated by Jenae Sikkink, Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Inclusive Strategies at The Partnership, with speakers Amanda Wanke, CEO at DART, Chris Costa, President and CEO at Knapp Properties and Jo Christine Miles, Director, Principal® Foundation and Principal Community Relations, on connecting talent to opportunities including updates on the regional transportation plan. 

• Keys to Cultivating Community Vibrancy: Moderated by Kaity Patchett, Executive Director of Capital Crossroads with panelists Kim Didier, Executive Director of DMACC Business Resources and Trina Flack, President and CEO of Catch Des Moines, on the intersection between tourism, arts and housing in the region. 

• Creating Continuous Small Business Success: Moderated by Austin Strawhacker, State Director of America’s Small Business Development Center Iowa with panelists Nick Tarpey, Economic Development Project Manager, City of Des Moines and Monica Reyes, Owner of Inmobiliaria Inc. and a Scale DSM Business Accelerator Graduate, followed by an interactive workshop on uplifting small businesses. 

• The State of Site Selection (Sponsored by Estes Construction): Moderated by Sid Juwarker, Vice President of Economic Development at The Partnership with site selection consultants from Colliers International and Newmark Global Strategy, providing insights on office / industrial space trends and strategies for standing out in site selection.  

• Water, Growth and the Bottom Line: Building a Resilient Region Through Water Collaboration: A moderated panel discussion with speakers Jen Cross, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Great Outdoors Foundation, John Rutledge, General Manager at Lake Panorama Association, Tami Madsen, Executive Director at Central Iowa Water Works and Amy Kahler, CEO and General Manager at Des Moines Water Works, followed by a solutioning workshop.  

• AI Futurecasting: Equipping our Leaders with Skills of the Future: An interactive session focused on a human-centric approach to prepare for the future of work with speaker Matthew Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of Bâton Global. 

• Unlock AI: Guide for Business (Sponsored by Meta): Learn directly from a Meta expert in this interactive training session designed to give you practical, real-world skills on how to use AI. 

Additional Key Programming 

• The Partnership’s Annual Economic Impact Awards: Recognizing companies making significant contributions to the regional economy through capital investment, innovation and job creation. 

• Mayors’ Panel: A moderated panel discussion with mayors from across the region.   

• One Partnership: Ideas from Around the Region: Explore high-impact ideas and solutions from across the 12-county region. 

View full event programming, including the full list of confirmed speakers for each breakout session and panel, and register to attend The Summit at The Partnership website.  

“The Regional Summit is a unique opportunity to connect with leaders from rural, urban and suburban organizations and communities across our region to address our most pressing challenges, explore our greatest opportunities and spark ideas that drive our region forward,” said Tiffany Tauscheck, President & CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “It’s a day to engage with other leaders and exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and gain actionable insights to inform solutions and paths forward.”