Members

Kate Banasiak* President/CEO, Diversifed Management Services Nataliya Boychenko Client Service Executive, Holmes Murphy & Associates Emily Boyd Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator, Community Housing Initiatives Katie Bradshaw Tasting Room/Events Manager, Jasper Winery Annie Brandt Community Engagement Leader, Trivent Financial Kristin Broers Franchise Owner, Blo Jeanine Buckingham HR Manager, Orchestrate Jenna Ekstrom Director of Marketing & Development, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity Lexie Franzeen Optometrist, Franzeen Eye Care PLLC Maggie Glisan Senior Food Editor, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine Emily Hamilton Executive Director, I Have a Dream Foundation Susan Hatten Senior Consultant of Strategic Partnerships, Holmes Murphy & Associates Sara Hopkins Realtor, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices First Realty Leslie Jasper Account Executive, Business Publications, Inc. Amy Jennings Executive Director, Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute Jenna Knox Regional Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Kari Lantz Owner, urban card® Liz Lidgett Director, Liz Lidgett Fine Art Colleen MacRae Attorney, Dickinson, Mackamann, Tyler & Hagen Jessica Maldonado Public Afairs Manager, PolicyWorks LLC Keshia Meissner Executive Director, Beacon of Life Laine Mendenhall-Buck Director of Alumni Relations, Grandview University Jaimie Miller-Ackley* Executive Director, Credit Union Foundation Angie Monthei-Meylor Owner, Complete Wellness Chiropractic Laura Palmer Owner/Illustrator, XO-LP Nicole Peckumn Marketing Communications Manager, Kemin Industries Holly Poort Business Development Manager, Manpower Addie Rasmusson Community Health Consultant, Iowa Department of Public Health Emilee Richardson Marketing & Communications Manager, Science Center of Iowa Megan Ruble* Senior Account Manager, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Katie Schorsch Manager of Annual Giving, Des Moines University Ashley Shafer Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley Jenny Smith Audit Manager, McGowen Hurst Clark and Smith Kelly Sparks Principle/Owner, Socialize Events Cailin Stockdale Director of Marketing & Communication, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa Katie Stocking Founder and Owner, Happy Medium Amy Strutt Sales Advisory Communications Consultant, Wells Fargo Home Lending Shannon Stump Academic Advisor, AIB College of Business Sunni Swarbrick* Associate Director, Diversifed Management Services Nikki Syverson Director of Development, Des Moines Playhouse Emily Toribio Assistant Communication Director, Iowa Finance Authority Emily Trunnel Senior Financial Professional, Principal Financial Group Andrea Woodard* Public Policy Manager, Greater Des Moines Partnership Alyssa Young* Digital Writer/Editor, Drake University

*=Executive Board Member Executive Board Biographies

Andrea Woodard—President Andrea works as the Public Policy Manager for the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Outside of work Andrea serves on the boards of the Junior League of Des Moines, Orchard Place Foundation, Des Moines Parks and Recreation, DAWN’s List, and the Young Professionals Connection of Des Moines. She is also involved as a mentor at Orchard Place and stays involved with the Des Moines Tri Delta Alumnae Chapter, New Leaders Council, and various Democratic groups. Andrea was a member of the 2013 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, is a graduate of the , and was the Juice and YPC Central Iowa YP of the Year for 2014.

Jaimie Miller-Ackley—Vice President Jaimie serves as the Executive Director of the Iowa Credit Union Foundation where she leads the State of Iowa’s largest asset building program for families working toward fnancial self-sufciency. Jaimie has spent the last 7 years working in the political and nonproft arenas. Prior to her current role, Jaimie served as the Director of Philanthropy for Johnston based WesleyLife. Jaimie’s community involvements include the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, Des Moines Waterworks Park Foundation, St. Augustin Catholic Church and Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority. Jaimie was recognized in 2015 by the Business Record as a Forty under 40.

Sunni Swarbrick—Treasurer Sunni is an Associate Director for Diversifed Management Services. Outside of work, she is passionate about community philanthropy/ development, mentoring and female leadership. Sunni is a member of the Greater Des Moines Leadership institute (’13). She volunteers for a variety of organizations including Lead Like a Lady, PopUp Yoga DSM, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. Sunni is an alumnus of the University of Northern Iowa and the MPA program at Drake University. Beyond her professional interests, she loves running, yoga, biking, checking things of her bucket list, cooking, live music and quilting/crafing.

Kate Banasiak—Secretary Kate, President and CEO, has been with Diversifed Management Services since she began as a Senior Administrative Assistant in 2005. Prior to joining DMS, she worked as a meeting & convention planner in the hotel industry. Kate graduated from with a B.S. in Business Management. She is a member of ISAE and is active in the AMC Institute Market Expansion Advisory Council. Kate volunteers for several civic organizations, is a graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute & part of the 2013 Forty Under 40 Class.

Megan Ruble—Past President Megan Ruble has been with Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield in Large Group Sales since 2006, and was with Principal Financial Group as an Underwriting Consultant for fve years prior. Ruble holds a Bachelor’s in Finance from University of Northern Iowa, an MBA from University of Iowa, and is a 2011 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute graduate. Megan is very involved in the community and currently serves with the following organizations: Broadlawns Foundation Board and Advocate Circle, Community Connect Council, United Way Volunteer Cabinet and Educational Leadership Initiative Advisory Board, Children & Family Urban Movement’s Whyld Girls Advisory Council, Variety the Children’s Charity State of Iowa Board, Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Attraction & Retention Council, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Alyssa Young—Communications Chair Alyssa Young is a digital writer and editor at Drake University, where she also received her Master of Communication Leadership. Alyssa has professional experience in corporate communications, marketing, public relations, and print journalism. She received her bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Iowa. Beyond her professional interests, Alyssa is vice president of communications for Habitat Young Professionals, and a past board member of Young Professionals Connection and the Central Iowa chapter of Public Relations Society of America. She has volunteered for a variety of organizations including One Iowa, Habitat for Humanity, Youth Emergency Services Shelter, and Animal Rescue League. Pride Points

Lead Like a Lady members are...... Volunteers

• Lead Like a Lady members volunteer their time and talents to 100 organizations in the community.

• Each month, they donate a combined 410+ hours of their time to strengthening the community.

• Lead Like a Lady members serve on a combined 50+ nonproft and organization boards.

...Accomplished

•18% of members are small business owners.

•12 leading ladies have a graduate degree and 17 have gone through a leadership training program.

• Members have a combined 34 honors and awards, including several 40 under Forty honorees and Governor’s Volunteer Award recipients.

...Connected

• 34% of members serve as mentors.

• Trough Lead Like a Lady events, members have visited and supported more than 25 local businesses and organizations.

• Members have learned from and networked with 22 guest speakers (and counting!) through Lead Like a Lady events. Frequently Asked Questions

What is Lead Like a Lady? Lead Like a Lady (LLL) is an organization consisting of a network of women who wish to learn, live, and lead together. We foster this network through a series of monthly events that aim to educate women on leadership, connect members with individuals in similar stages of life personally and professionally, and create a safe and confdential forum to exchange advice.

Lead Like a Lady’s mission is to connect women through support and development to become a community of empowered and engaged leaders.

Our vision is to become a group of lifelong, female leaders who will make a lasting impact on our community as we grow throughout our lives.

How did Lead Like a Lady start? Lead Like a Lady was founded in March 2013 to inspire leadership development and mentorship for young women who have the desire to better themselves personally and professionally. Our four founders, Andrea Woodard, Jaimie Miller-Ackley, Megan Ruble, and Sunni Swarbrick came together with a passion for growing the collective impact of young women who were quickly becoming leaders in their industries in Greater Des Moines. Today this passion has grown into an organization of more than 40 dues-paying, active members who are leaders not only in their professional roles but also in their community.

What are the requirements to become a member of Lead Like a Lady? To become a new member, individuals are encouraged to complete an interest form on the LLL web site at https://leadlikealady.org/membership, and attend an annual prospective member event. In the fall, the membership committee will contact ladies who have expressed interest in membership with application instructions. We are in the process of establishing our membership process for 2016 and the future. Contact [email protected] for more information.

How do I know if LLL is a good ft for me? We are looking for women from a variety of backgrounds, organizations, and industries. However, we do have a few requirements of members that you should consider when thinking about applying to be a member: • Members must commit to attending 50% of events • Members are expected to be actively engaged with the group throughout the year and consider supporting Lead Like a Lady through a leadership role or committee work

Who is in Lead Like a Lady? LLL consists of women leaders typically in the mid to advanced stages of their careers who have displayed leadership qualities in their professions and in the community. Membership is kept to less than 50 members in order to maintain an environment of support and camaraderie.

Where does Lead Like a Lady meet? Te diversity of our membership and community partners allows LLL the opportunity to gather members in a diferent location each month to expose the membership to various industries and areas of Des Moines. Events have been held in restaurants, ofces, organizations, and personal homes. If you are interested in hosting Lead Like a Lady at your establishment, please contact [email protected].

What types of events does Lead Like a Lady hold? Every month, Lead Like a Lady holds a minimum of one breakfast meeting and one happy hour event at various locations throughout Des Moines. Breakfast meetings are held in places of employment of current members or friends of LLL. Happy Hours are typically held in reserved areas of restaurants or other venues. Events usually consist of a guest speaker who addresses the group on a topic of interest to professional women. Past topics have included community leadership, women in politics, workplace etiquette, career paths, and work/life balance. We also hold occasional social activities (such as yoga or Habitat Build Days) and attend community events that align with our mission. What are the annual dues? Are there additional costs throughout the year? Annual dues are $125 per year and are due at the beginning of the calendar year. Occasional additional costs may be required should members wish to gather for a meal or via the cost of tickets to community events.

What do dues go toward? We strive to provide free or low-cost events for our members and dues help us do that. We also ofen subsidize attendance to events, such as the Women of Infuence Awards.

How can I host the LLL group or speak to LLL? We welcome partnerships with individuals and organizations to assist us in providing quality events for our members. If interested in hosting Lead Like a Lady at your organization or speaking to members on a specifc topic, please contact the Events and Speakers Committee Chairs at [email protected].

What community outreach or philanthropic activities does Lead Like a Lady take part in? As a fairly new organization, Lead Like a Lady strives to continue growing and developing its multi-pronged approach to leadership development of female leaders. We are always looking for opportunities to serve the community and have had the fortunate opportunity to do so through donation drives, service days, and sitting on panels at colleges. Te Events and Speakers Committee invites suggestions for community outreach opportunities and can be reached at [email protected].