Leading in Times of Challenge with Teree Caldwell-Johnson

Oakridge Neighborhood CEO Teree Caldwell-Johnson is a current member of the Des Moines School Board, serving on several Greater Des Moines (DSM) nonprofit boards and a mentor with the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute’s Community Connect program.

Leadership Tips

Six months before Teree moved from San Antonio to DSM to take over the Metro Waste Authority, new legislation passed that required the company to transition from a purely landfill operation to an integrated solid waste management system, with recycling, household hazardous waste systems and more. At the time, Teree had no specific expertise in the solid waste industry and had to determine steps for a total system change, as well as a new regulatory environment that hadn’t been tested before in the state. This particular challenge came at the perfect time for Teree as she came on board with the organization just as the new system launched and was able to help shape it from the beginning. Teree discusses how the challenging time forced her to think through the company’s new normal and look at staffing, specifically what should be done to build capacity or find new expertise.

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.