The Iowa Business Hall Of Fame Honors Terry Buzbee, Steve Lacy, And Larry Zimpleman As 2013 Inductees!
The Greater Des Moines Committee will recognize Final Control Group Vice President Terry Buzbee, Meredith Corporation Chairman and CEO Steve Lacy, and Principal Financial Group Chairman, President and CEO Larry Zimpleman as the 2013 Inductees to the Iowa Business Hall of Fame. The inductees will be honored during the Greater Des Moines Committee’s annual Black Tie Dinner to be held at The Meadows Events and Conference Center on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013. The Iowa Business Hall of Fame honors the achievements of Iowans who have made outstanding contributions to the development and enhancement of Iowa’s business climate.
Terry Buzbee
Terry Buzbee serves as Group Vice President, Final Control for Emerson Process Management, which owns Fisher Controls located in Marshalltown, Iowa. Fisher is the world leader in providing reliable control valves, instrumentation, and performance services to the oil and gas, chemical, pulp, paper, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Fisher valve operations began in Marshalltown in 1880. Since then, the Fisher division has grown to employ more than 3,700 people worldwide and is the largest control valve and regulator manufacturer in the world.
Buzbee grew up in Missouri, earned an engineering degree from Missouri University School of Science & Technology, and joined Fisher Controls in Marshalltown in 1977. Emerson bought Fisher Controls in 1992 and appointed Buzbee President of the Valve Division, North America in 1994. The following year, he became President of the global business. Over the next 20 years, the business expanded around the globe and achieved market leadership positions in every world area.
Buzbee’s passion and commitment to his community is evidenced by Emerson’s investment of more than $40 million to expand product development, testing and manufacturing resources in Marshalltown, including the world-class Emerson Innovation Center. Fisher employees have devoted thousands of hours to community projects including United Way, Not In Our Town (an anti-bullying campaign), and Governor Branstad’s STEM initiative.
Buzbee currently serves as Co-Chair of the Marshalltown Business Education Alliance; Chairman of the Marshalltown Education Partnership, which provides scholarship opportunities for low-income, first-from-family students who meet criteria; and as an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Marshalltown. He is a past Board member of the Martha Ellen Fisher Tye Foundation and past President of the Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce.
Stephen M. Lacy
Steve Lacy is Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Meredith Corporation. Headquartered in Des Moines, with more than 20 locations across the United States, Meredith employs more than 3,500 people. Its national media group, with brands such as Better Homes and Gardens, Traditional Home, and Midwest Living, reaches 100 million American women each and every month. Meredith’s local media group consists of 12 television stations that reach 10 percent of U.S. households.
Lacy was born in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. A Certified Public Accountant, he earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Accounting from Kansas State University. Lacy joined Meredith in 1998 as CFO, and quickly rose to National Media Group President in 2000. He became President of the Company in 2004; CEO in 2006; and Chairman and CEO in 2010.
During his tenure, Meredith greatly expanded its media footprint by purchasing popular brands such as Parents, Allrecipes, Family Circle, Fitness, EveryDay with Rachael Ray, American Baby and FamilyFun. He also spearheaded the acquisition of digital marketing agencies that greatly enhanced the capabilities of Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, the company's global marketing services business.
Lacy’s history of community leadership roles is too extensive to list. Most notably, he chaired the Greater Des Moines Partnership in 2008-09, and led the 2011 United Way of Central Iowa campaign to record results of $25.1 million — $1 million over the prior year. Currently, Lacy chairs the Des Moines Redevelopment Company; serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines; and Chairs the Bishop’s Council for the Diocese of Des Moines. Industry leadership includes currently serving the Boards of The Advertising Council and The Association of Magazine Media. He is a past Chair of the Direct Marketing Association. He is also on the board of the Kansas State University Foundation.
Lacy has been honored by a number of awards, including the prestigious American Jewish Committee Human Relations Award, the Drake University Community Leadership Award. He has twice been recognized as the Advertising Age Publishing Executive of the Year.
Larry D. Zimpleman
Larry Zimpleman is Chairman, President and CEO of the Principal Financial Group®. The Principal is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. Founded in 1879, and a member of the Fortune 500, The Principal has $466.2 billion in assets under management and serves some 19.0 million customers from worldwide offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.
Zimpleman grew up in Williamsburg, Iowa. He attended Drake University on a scholarship from The Principal, and in his junior year landed an after-school job working for the company as an actuarial intern. From 1976 to 2006 he served in various management and leadership positions in the pension department. He was named Vice President in 1997, Senior Vice President in 1999, Executive Vice President in 2001, President of Retirement and Investor Services in 2003 and President and COO in 2006. He was named President and CEO in 2008 and to his current position in 2009.
Zimpleman is responsible for overall management of The Principal, including overseeing company strategy, merger and acquisition activities, international development and human resources planning for nearly 15,000 employees in the U.S. and 11 other countries. As a highly regarded expert on retirement security, investment management, and global retirement systems, his leadership and expertise is regularly sought by government officials and regulators worldwide.
Zimpleman serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Drake University. He is Vice Chair of the Iowa Business Council and serves on the Financial Services Roundtable Board & Executive Committee; on the board of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the ACLI Executive Committee, ex officio and additionally serves as Chair of the ACLI Retirement & Financial Security Steering Committee. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and an Enrolled Actuary. Additionally, he is a member of: American Academy of Actuaries, Des Moines Actuaries Club, Business-Higher Education Forum and Business Roundtable.
Zimpleman was awarded the 2013 Lilywhite Award from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, recognizing outstanding lifetime contributions to Americans’ economic security. In 2012, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from PLANSPONSOR, a national retirement industry magazine, for his extraordinary contribution to the retirement plan industry.
The Greater Des Moines Committee was formed in 1907 by a group of 30 local business leaders. Today, the Committee consists of 111 members and provides an opportunity for business leaders to come together for an information exchange about important topics in the community, the state, and the nation. The Committee founded the Iowa Business Hall of Fame in 1975 to honor the achievements of Iowans who have made outstanding contributions to the development and enhancement of Iowa’ business climate.
Media inquiries about the inductees, the Iowa Business Hall of Fame, or the Greater Des Moines Committee may be directed to Susan Ramsey at (515) 286-4954 or sramsey@DSMpartnership.com.
About the Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization that serves Greater Des Moines (DSM), Iowa. Together with 23 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce, more than 6,100 Regional Business Members and more than 330 Investors, The Partnership drives economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region. Through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration, The Partnership grows opportunity, helps create jobs and promotes DSM as the best place to build a business, a career and a future. Learn more at DSMpartnership.com.