Supervisor
Linn County
AGE: 30
Best advice you ever received?
I’ve been told a variation of this by several people: “Know yourself, and be yourself in this world that is constantly trying to make you just like everyone else.”
Biggest break?
My entire life has been one big break after another, but the biggest might have been when I moved to Washington, D.C., after college. It was the classic story of traveling there with two suitcases and my hopes and dreams. It worked out quite well.
If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support?
I would create a sustaining fund for the Academy for Scholastic & Personal Success. It is the most consequential nonprofit organization operating in Eastern Iowa.
What is the biggest issue facing the Corridor?
As income inequality continues to grow around the country,it reverberates locally as well. There are two distinct cultures being created in the Corridor. One is unabashedly more open and diverse, while the other is lagging behind.Professional talent in this country flocks to areas that are culturally rich and diverse, and where intellectual capital resides, other resources tend to follow. We must recognize this cultural disparity and leverage the power of government and industry – in much the same way Des Moines has done over the last decade – to make investments in cultural attractions that are accessible to all people.
