Standout leader from the community featured each month
Brock grew up in a small town and pursued a degree in finance at the University of Iowa. After graduating, he relocated to Des Moines, where he’s worked in commercial banking for the past five years. He is passionate about problem-solving and connecting with people, both of which are central to his professional and personal life. Outside of work, he loves to spend time on the golf course and enjoy the company of friends and family. Building meaningful relationships and staying active in his community are key aspects of who he is. Learn more here.
Izzy is a kind, smart, and passionate person who loves what she does, loves to be active outdoors, and loves life in general. She is passionate about making true connections with her clients to help them make meaningful life decisions. Learn more here.
Aleah is an authentic and energetic person who enjoys embracing change, innovation, and technology. She has a genuine passion for people and their well-being, and always strives to make a positive impact on those around her. My positive attitude and enthusiasm for continuous improvement guide me in both my personal and professional life. I believe in the power of human connection and am dedicated to finding innovative solutions that can improve the lives of others. Learn more here.
Noah Slagter is an easy-going guy who loves his fiancé, family, and career. When he’s not watching sports or spending time with his family, you’ll find him building his business. Noah has a strong passion for helping individuals get into their dream home and is committed to providing a smooth and enjoyable experience for the borrowers and all parties involved. Learn more here.
As an Illinois native and an Iowa resident, Nora Walsh can confidently say she loves the Midwest culture! She loves hot dogs, fresh snow, being overly friendly to strangers, and acting shocked by the climate she’s lived in her entire life. An absolute animal fanatic, Nora will absolutely risk popping a curb in order to peep a cute puppy walking by! She enjoys keeping car rides alive with her great karaoke voice…as long as you don’t turn the music down! In her free time, she loves to attend concerts (especially at outdoor venues!), try new restaurants, and go to the dog park with my pup, Bodie. Her friends would most likely describe her as an unfiltered crazy dog lady. Learn more here.
Reilly Smidt was born and raised in West Des Moines and is proud to call our community home. After graduating from Dowling Catholic, he attended Iowa State University where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance.
Reilly joined Ernst & Young as a Financial Services Consultant within their Consultant Development Program. Outside of work, he serves in volunteer roles with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa, Young Professionals Connection, Delta Sigma Pi International Business Fraternity, Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, and the YP Open Golf Tournament.
During his lifetime, Reilly has seen the West Des Moines community transform with the opening of Jordan Creek Town Center, the development of West Glen Town Center, and the successful attraction and retention of several businesses to our community. He is confident that our best days are ahead of us and looks forward to playing his part in helping our community thrive. Learn more here.
Jacob Olson is a husband, father, and professional who appreciates the simple things in life. A recruiter at Palmer Group, Jacob finds great reward in making people’s lives better by helping them navigate the stressful time that is job hunting. He enjoys spending time with his wife and son, being involved at church, and learning more about business and life through books and podcasts. Learn more here.
Levi Lefebure is a dedicated Member Services Coordinator at the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI), where he is committed to bettering the environment for businesses across the state through advocacy, collaboration, education and motivation. Beyond his professional role, Levi enjoys friendly competition. From bowling league at Air Lanes in the winter, to softball league at Racoon River Park in the summer, Levi thrives off being involved and active. When he is not busy with other activities, you can likely find him at a local event or brewery. Learn more here.
Alexa Strickler is an enneagram 7 extrovert! She is a Commercial Real Estate Representative at R&R Realty. Alexa loves to be around family and friends; eating, walking, and having deep conversations. She is always down for the next adventure. Learn more here.
Cole is a motivated and advocative Learning and Development professional with a passion for creativity and a love for learning and education. He truly believes that going into each opportunity knowing there is always something to learn will only serve a professional well. Through his experiences, he has been able to explore the field of Learning & Development to become a leader on the cutting edge. Learn more here.
Dr. Adam Ries, the West YP Committee Chair 2022, is our WDM Watch List feature this month! Adam works at Yost Family Chiropractic. He says he loves “Helping patients get back to living life to the fullest, doing the things they love to do, without health issues holding them back.” Thank you, Adam for all you have done for West YP and the West Des Moines community! Learn more here.
West YP is proud to have our member, Chenoa Springer, be selected for the West Des Moines Watch List standout leader. One of her favorite things about West Des Moines is the ample opportunities to get involved, whether that’s through something like young professionals, volunteering, or trying out new hobbies. Chenoa is an Actuarial Analyst for EquiTrust Life Insurance Company. “There is a lot of things I enjoy about my job. I get to learn something new almost every day, and READ MORE
West YP is proud to have our member, Morgan Hurd, be selected as the August West Des Moines Watch List standout leader. One of her favorite things about West Des Moines is the number of things there are to do and how it’s a growing community. She is also an active member of West YP. “I love the wide variety of topics West YP events cover and how they are all designed to build knowledge and encourage growth. Not only that but being a part of West YP is a great opportunity to meet and support other young professionals in a super welcoming…” READ MORE
Amy has been incredibly involved within the West Des Moines community and recently graduated from the West Des Moines Leadership Academy in May. When asked what her favorite thing about West Des Moines was, she stated, “It is an incredible city, and the people are truly ‘Iowa nice.’ We have phenomenal destinations from great restaurants to events to activities…It’s hard not to enjoy your time in West Des Moines.” We couldn’t agree more! Amy was born… READ MORE
Isaiah Thomas grew up right here in West Des Moines. With his degree from Iowa State University, he is excited to be in the real estate industry with Century 21 Signature Real Estate. After completing his first year, he earned the Quality Service Producer Award, which recognizes clients’ feedback on the quality of service he provided them throughout the real estate transaction. He loves that his career allows him the ability to write his own story, get involved in the community, and help so many… READ MORE
After growing up in Norfolk, Alec decided to leave the state of Nebraska and attend Drake University in Des Moines. While in college, Alec had an amazing job shadow experience led by Adam Kaduce at R&R Realty Group which started his love of commercial brokerage. Since his graduation, Alec has been active in Iowa’s commercial real estate scene for the past four years and is currently an Associate at Cushman & Wakefield. To date, Alec has represented over 8 million square feet of office… READ MORE
Growing up in LeGrand, Iowa, Josh Gummert attended a small school near East Marshall. After high school, Josh attended The University of Iowa where he originally majored Pre-Med, but his passion for finance and math led him to pursue Economics. Josh’s love for banking began when he was young. He would go to the bank with his dad every Saturday morning, where his dad would explain the ins and outs of personal banking. These conversations have come full circle as Josh is currently Assistant Branch Manager at… READ MORE
Born & raised in the small town of Aplington, IA, Logan attended Aplington-Parkersburg High School where he formed his life motto “believe”. While in elementary school, Parkersburg was hit by an EF5 tornado and he was able to see an entire community respond and believe there would be better days ahead. This single experience played a huge role in shaping who Logan is today. It taught him if you just believe and take things one step at a time, good things will come… READ MORE
Born and raised in Spirit Lake, you can often find MacKenzie Veldman venturing back to her hometown to spend time on the lake. MacKenzie was raised in an entrepreneurial family where both of her parents owned their own businesses, which eventually led her to major in Financial Counseling and Planning at Iowa State University. Mackenzie chose this major because it allows her to have the best of both worlds between education and business. The ability to educate individuals… READ MORE
A University of Iowa graduate with degrees in both industrial engineering and finance, Jacob has always enjoyed strategy, creating change and embracing innovation. He also went on to get his Masters in Engineering at Iowa State University. Jacob excels at working with business owners, their leaders, and organizations to identify, develop and convert what matters most to them… READ MORE
Born and raised in Western Illinois on a small family Farm, Gretchen found her way to Iowa by attending Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!). She studied Agronomy and actually worked in that industry fresh out of college. Gretchen found her way to insurance as she quickly realized she wanted to be a valuable resource for small business owners and families. In her previous work she was managing and onboarding subcontractors and was shocked at… READ MORE
After being born and raised in Urbandale, Jordan took his University of Northern Iowa degree of Management, Real Estate and Finance right back to Central Iowa to launch his career. He is a Commercial Real Estate Broker at Cushman & Wakefield Iowa Commercial Advisors. Jordan just completed the WDM Leadership Academy among a class of exceptional leaders. During a year when most people were trying to just get by, Jordan and his peers pushed through more than 80 hours of development to better themselves… READ MORE
We are excited for this month’s very special feature of the “WDM Watch List.” Tom is an experienced marketer successfully building relationships with sponsors and brand partners, creating social media and digital network content, generating revenue, and increasing attendance & viewership.
He has spent the last 3 and a half years as… READ MORE
Britton is Iowa born and bred, moving to Des Moines at two years old. After graduating from Valley High School and then earning a degree in Finance from Iowa State University, he chose to launch his career in West Des Moines.
Britton is a Commercial Real Estate Associate Advisor at SVN | CREATE. Growing up here exposed Britton to the knowledge and expertise of the area and surrounding suburbs at an early age, which gives him a competitive edge in… READ MORE
Everyone in the WDM Leadership Academy presents a “Time to Shine” about themselves, but Claire took shine to a whole new level.
Her sparkling bodysuit, mask, and cookies coordinate perfectly with her bright personality.
Passionate, fearless, and insightful are three other words that… READ MORE
