Leading in Times of Challenge with Gary Palmer

Gary Palmer, the president and CEO of Prairie Meadows, was born and raised in Altoona, Iowa. He enlisted in the military and served for five years in Vietnam. He graduated with degrees from both Grand View University and Drake University. Gary was on the steering committee to bring Prairie Meadow to Greater Des Moines (DSM) in the mid-80s. He became a full-time staff member with Prairie Meadows in 1998 and became CEO in 2006.

Importance of Employees

Gary discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic is the most challenging time he’s experienced. He says with 1,300 employees, making sure they’re all taken care of it is vitally important. This crisis will end, and in the meantime, Gary says they continue a light crew to protect the building while the executive team works daily on the phone toward a plan for reopening.

The Leading in Times of Challenge podcast was previously produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. To learn more about community events and leadership, check out The Partnership blog.