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 law professionals being honored.
Holly Corkery
Shareholder | Lynch Dallas, P.C.
Age: 36
Family: Husband, Brian; one son and one daughter
Residence: Marion, Iowa
Hometown: Marion, Iowa
Education: Coe College – Bachelor of Arts
University of Iowa College of Law – Juris Doctor
Best advice you ever received?
When I was four or five years old, my grandpa suggested that when I “grew up” I should be a lawyer. That stuck with me, and throughout my education and career exploration I always came back to going to law school. I am very lucky to love what I do today, so that has to be the best piece of advice I have ever received.
What do you consider your “big break” in your career, so far? Coming out of law school after the 2008 recession, having Lynch Dallas take a chance on a brand-new lawyer had to be my biggest break.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you? My senior year of high school I was a page in the Iowa Legislative Page Program. I was assigned to work in the House of Representatives and spent most of my days running errands around the Capitol. I moved to Des Moines and lived in an apartment with other pages during the second semester of my senior year. It was one of the best experiences I could have ever asked for.
What are your passions outside of the workplace? I really enjoy being a mom and spending time with my family. As our kids get older, I really enjoy getting to go on adventures with them and to show them all of the great things about their community.
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace? I think most millennials want to work somewhere that is invested and supportive of the community. They do not view their job as their entire identity, just part of it, and they want their job to align with their personal values.
Jake Vetter
Associate Attorney | Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC
Age: 38
Residence: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Hometown: Grinnell, Iowa
Education: Northwestern University – Bachelor of Arts
University of Iowa College of Law – Juris Doctor
Best advice you ever received? Don’t prioritize work over everything else in your life.
What do you consider your “big break” in your career, so far? Coming to work at Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC (SPMB). As a law student going through the interview and hiring process, there is not a lot of information available about the firms you apply to. I lucked out.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you? I barely made the 40-year old cutoff. My age often surprises people. I don’t think this always works in my favor (age is often equated with experience), but I’m sure I’ll miss it once I age a little more!
What’s the biggest issue facing the Corridor, and why? Continuing to grow while avoiding the pitfalls of urban sprawl and losing the identity of local communities.
If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support? Anything involving education and/or nature – Indian Creek Nature Center happens to do both!
What are your passions outside of the workplace? I’m really into fishing and have gone up to northern Minnesota fishing with my family for the last 30 years. I also enjoy running and try to make it at least 5 km or so most days.
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace? I think people always tend to think a younger generation is not as hard-working as their own or has it easy compared to them. I don’t buy this.
What do you want to accomplish by the time you are 50? Build a well-balanced personal life and career. I’m already into my second career (I consider the 10 years I spent as an officer in the Navy as my first career), so I’m a big believer in keeping options and connections open, both professionally and in the community.
