Tom Brokaw to Headline Partnership Annual Dinner
Former NBC Nightly News anchor and Peabody Award winner Tom Brokaw will be the keynote speaker of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s 127th Annual Dinner program on Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. The dinner will take place at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Downtown Des Moines (DSM). Just days before the 2016 Iowa Caucuses, Brokaw will bring an expansive knowledge of presidential campaigns. Brokaw covered every presidential election from 1984 to 2008.
Brokaw served as anchor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004, and prior to that hosted the TODAY show and served as NBC’s Washington Correspondent. During his illustrious career, he covered historic news events that included the Watergate Scandal, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Nightly News took over first place in the Nielsen ratings under Brokaw’s watch in 1996 and held the top spot for the remainder of his tenure. After retiring in 2004, Brokaw remained as a Special Correspondent for NBC News.
Brokaw has won every major award in his craft, including Peabody, Duponts, Emmys and lifetime achievement recognition. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Brokaw with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In addition to his distinguished broadcast career, Brokaw has also written a number of books, including The Greatest Generation, a 1998 book profiling the generation that grew up during the Great Depression and lived through World War II, and A Lucky Life Interrupted: A Memoir of Hope, a 2015 book reflecting on a long, happy and lucky life during a battle with cancer.
“For more than three decades, Americans let Tom Brokaw into their homes to share major news events that included presidential races, national triumphs, scandals, disasters and everything in between,” said Gerry Neugent, President and CEO of Knapp Properties and the 2015 Chair of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “Mr. Brokaw will be able to provide unmatched insight into the politics, people, events and ideas that have shaped our nation. We are fortunate to have Mr. Brokaw as our keynote speaker, thanks to the assistance of Michael Gartner and his longstanding relationship with Brokaw.”
The Partnership’s Annual Dinner is the Central Iowa business community’s celebration of the past year’s economic and community development successes. The dinner includes a social hour beginning at 5 p.m., with the dinner and program beginning at 6:30 p.m. The program includes the presentation of the 2015 Inclusion Award(s) and presentation of the Partnership’s Annual Report, summarizing the accomplishments of the organization’s work in 2015. Reservations are now being accepted online at DSMpartnership.com/events. Center stage seating is $150 per person or $1,500 per table, and general seating is $125 per person or $1,250 per table. A table seats 10 people.
Reservations may also be directed to Katie Hernandez, (515) 286-4913 or khernandez@DSMpartnership.com. Members of the media are asked to contact Sophia Ahmad, Vice President of Public Relations at the Partnership at (515) 286-4919 or sahmad@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.