Each year, the Corridor Business Journal shines a spotlight on young professionals who have made a meaningful impact on the region early in their careers.
This year, we are proud to introduce you to the 19th class of Forty Under 40 honorees. In this post, you’ll find the honorees working in communications.
Megan Middaugh
Customer and Community Success Manager | Unite Us
Age: 37
Family: Partner, Andrew; son, Anthony; daughter, Lacie; step daughter, Sophia
Residence: Marion, Iowa
Hometown: Dallas Center, Iowa
Education: Iowa State University – Psychology
Kirkwood Community College – Social Work
What was your first job? Waitress at my family’s bowling alley and restaurant.
What do you consider your “big break” in your career, so far? My big break happened when I learned my passion and career could work together as one. Being able to do what I love and know that I am making a difference is what has opened many doors for me.
What do you want to accomplish by the time you are 50? By age 50, I want to still love what I do. So often, I hear people complain about their work being boring, or not what they want to do for the rest of their lives. This goes back to the best advice I was given, so I will pass it along now: Never accept that something cannot be changed. We create our own destiny and are paving the path as we walk it.
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace? My generation in the workplace does not like to be IN the workplace. I thrive on working from home and in the community.
What’s the biggest issue facing the Corridor, and why? We need to better connect with each other. Our health does not just happen in the four walls of a doctor’s office; it happens in our community. Social drivers of health are the conditions where we are born, live, work, play, worship and age, that affect every aspect of our daily lives. Connecting people to the care they need faster and with fewer barriers is one of the driving forces behind why I do what I do with Unite Us, and as a Civil Rights Commissioner for the City of Marion.
Mariah Obiedzinski
AVP of Content Marketing | Stamats
Age: 39
Family: Fiance, Ryan Tang; sons, Dugan, Christian and Phillip; daughters, Zoe and Morgan; dogs, Marley and Mischa
Residence: Robins, Iowa
Hometown: Alburnett, Iowa
Education: Mount Mercy University – Bachelor of Arts in English and Bachelor of Arts in Communications
What was your first job? Waiting tables at the A Cafe in Alburnett
Who do you consider your local mentors?
Sandra Fancher, chief innovation officer of Stamats, supervisor who guided me in customer experience, service, and work ethic; and Mary Vermillion, English professor at Mount Mercy University, who taught me so much about creative writing.
Best advice you ever received?
You’re the expert – act like it.
What do you want to accomplish by the time you are 50? I’d love to run a 50-mile race, write a book of my own, and mentor more new writers through the ever-changing trends in content marketing.
What are your passions outside of the workplace? I love trail running and volunteering through Rotary and Sleep in Heavenly Peace – Cedar Rapids/Marion.
Megan Thomas
Business Growth Director | Informatics, Inc.
Age: 36
Family: Husband, Seth; sons, Kyler, Marshall and Clay
Residence: Center Point, Iowa
Hometown: Alburnett, Iowa
Education: Wartburg College – Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Marketing Concentration
University of Iowa – Masters of Business Administration
Who do you consider your local mentors?
Stacie Osako, chief experience officer at Informatics; Laurel Bienemann, retired teacher/mom; Joe Lock, CEO, Eastern Iowa Health Center.
Best advice you ever received? My mom used to tell me to be kind to ALL people every night before I went to bed. It is still the best advice I have ever received.
What do you consider your “big break” in your career, so far? I would consider meeting one of my mentors, Stacie Osako, a big break in my career. She took time to understand my dreams and passions and has helped guide me in a direction to make these achievable.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you? I was a cheerleader at Wartburg College all four years.
What’s the biggest issue facing the Corridor, and why? We have many areas that are considered food deserts, creating difficulty for people to get access to food.
If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support? I would want to focus my resources on helping people get access to meet their health care needs.
What are your passions outside of the workplace? I am passionate about volunteering in the community, spending time with my family, working on our family farm, and cheering on the Hawkeyes!
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace?
People should know that millennials are hard-working, driven and have a desire to work somewhere that supports their need for work-life balance.
What do you want to accomplish by the time you are 50? By the time I am 50, I hope to be at a place where I can be a mentor and support others on their journey to become more involved in the community.
Nikki Wilcox
Director of Strategic Development
Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance
Age: 37
Family: Husband, Derek and three children
Residence: Marion, Iowa
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Education: Masters in Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
What was your first job? Account representative for the MLS Kansas City Wizards, now called “Sporting KC.”
What do you consider your “big break” in your career, so far? Doug Neumann, my current boss, gave me my big break. I asked him for coffee in October 2021 as I was looking to get out of education and back into the marketing world. We had an open and honest conversation, and at the end he said, “I think I may have a position for you. Would you be interested in talking with me further about being our communications director?” That was just the beginning.
Best advice you ever received? James Klein and I were sitting at Dash Coffee, and in the middle of our discussion he said, “you know it’s OK to say no, right? When you say no to something, you are saying yes to something else and vice versa.”
What would most people be surprised to learn about you? I have my black belt in tae kwon do.
What’s the biggest issue facing the Corridor, and why? Population growth. The highest growth we’ve seen in the past two decades was in 2000, where we had 2% growth. Since then, it’s been under 1%. The public and private sector need to work together as a region to address this issue and put Iowa, and the Corridor, on the map.
If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support? I would support a literacy program designed to increase reading proficiency in the state of Iowa.
What do you want to accomplish by the time you are 50? I want to be able to give the next generation what the Gen X’ers and Baby Boomers have given me. I want to give them opportunities, strength, encouragement, mentoring, time and advice.
