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Holly Bolton, FSMPS, CPSM

A self-proclaimed word nerd, Holly Bolton, FSMPS, CPSM, grew up with her nose in a book and a pencil in her hand. Today, she channels that love of story into her role as owner of 3chord Marketing, a marketing communications firm that helps architecture, engineering, and construction companies understand and connect with their audiences through research, strategy, and content creation. Holly’s 20+ years of experience include serving in a variety of marketing, business development, and corporate communication roles for architecture and engineering firms. The Society of Marketing Professional Service’s 2022-2023 president, Holly has also served as president of the SMPS Foundation and her local Indiana SMPS chapter. She is also a board member for Rebuilding Together Indianapolis. In addition to crafting content for professional services firms, Holly has written for Urban Land online and is co-author of the book A/E/C Marketing Fundamentals. She has a Bachelor of Science in public relations with a creative writing minor from the University of Central Missouri. Passionate about both the built and natural environment, Holly enjoys exploring the U.S. national parks and hitting the trails with her husband.

Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson is an award-winning humor writer known for her great candor in sharing her struggle with depression and mental illness. Her site, The Bloggess, receives over 125,000 unique visitors each month.
On social media, Jenny has over 460,000 Twitter followers; 135,000 Facebook fans; and 25,000 Instagram followers. Jenny has been recognized by the Nielsen ratings as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Mom Bloggers and Forbes listed her blog as one of their Top 100 Websites for Women. In addition to being a multiple-time finalist for the Weblog Awards for Best Writing, Most Humorous Writer and Weblog of the Year, the Huffington Post named her the "Greatest Person of the Day" for her work in raising money for struggling families in December 2010. Jenny's first book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, takes readers on a hilarious journey through her unique upbringing in rural Texas, her awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. The memoir debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List and transformed Jenny into a household name. Her most recent book, Furiously Happy, explores her lifelong battle with mental illness with a mix of candor and humor. Released in September 2015, the book also became an instant New York Times bestseller.

Liz Nead

Liz Nead is an adventure speaker, traveling the world and taking on challenges to find lessons of leadership, communication diversity and inclusion. A diversity speaker and researcher for over a decade, she specializes common language and daily communication around race and cultural differences in the workplace. Liz uses a direct, humorous and vivid style from the stage to create opportunities for communication around differences Liz has also served as an executive coach and consultant for DEI challenges for companies like Paypal, News Corp, National Guard and YWCA.

Liz is a television host and author, writing several Amazon best sellers, most recently “The 1440 Principle.” She also won a regional Emmy for her television show, “Life Dare.” Liz balances her passionate work with a thriving family of seven, and husband of 20 years, a retired army major.

Sandra Wirfs

Born in Mexico, Sandra migrated with her family to South Texas in 1986. Both of her parents were farmworkers, they were major influences in her life.  Sandra got married while still attending High School and later in life Sandra became a single mother of four children. She has lived in Ottumwa for the past 14 years and she finds passion in volunteering and being a resource to Immigrants and farmworkers. Currently Sandra is a member of the Ottumwa Human Rights Commission, she is Ottumwa LULAC's President (the oldest Civil Rights Organization in US), and serves in several Boards in the Community. 

Jessi McQuerrey

Jessi McQuerrey joined the staff of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Foundation in early 2014 and currently serves as its Director of Programs. Jessi’s role is to manage and facilitate the

ABI Foundation’s three statewide programs including: Business Horizons (high school), Leadership Iowa University (college), and Leadership Iowa (adult professionals). Jessi works to ensure that these experiences continue to provide the utmost value for participants, stakeholders, communities, and our state.

Additionally, Jessi serves as the Iowa Ambassador for the national Association of Leadership Programs (ALP) and chairs the Young Professionals of Iowa organization. She has a passion for education and supports various Iowa Dept. of Education committees and initiatives as a business and industry liaison. She enjoys promoting Iowa as the best place to live and work while developing our state’s greatest asset: our people.

Michelle Book

Michelle Book has served as president and CEO of Food Bank of Iowa since 2016. Under her leadership, Food Bank of Iowa has transformed from once underperforming to one of the top six Feeding America food banks in the country in 2022.

Michelle planned and executed a $7.1 million renovation to Food Bank of Iowa’s Des Moines headquarters in 2018, providing triple the warehouse capacity, six times the cooler space, and three times more freezer space. This has allowed the food bank to manage commodity food more efficiently and accept more offers of bulk donated product, drastically reducing food costs. As Food Bank of Iowa once again plans to expand its Des Moines distribution center to meet growing need, Michelle and her team are working to secure the necessary funding for this investment.

Prior to joining Food Bank of Iowa, Michelle traveled the world leading global community engagement for DuPont Pioneer and serving as the global compliance manager for John Deere Finance. Before that and at various times, she was an internal auditor, a hospital controller and a hog farmer.

Michelle earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in accounting from Iowa State University. She was formerly a licensed Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor.

Michelle has been recognized by the Des Moines Business Record as a Woman of Influence, a “leader to know,” and among the metro’s top 25 Most Influential Business Leaders. In 2019, Michelle was an Iowa State University Alumni Lifetime Achievement Awardee. And in 2021, she proudly accepted the Bell Tower of Fame Award from her hometown of Jefferson, Iowa.

A sought-after public speaker and food insecurity thought leader, Michelle serves on Nationwide Insurance Board Council, the Kennedy Center National Performing Arts Council and the U.S. Bank Advisory Council. She is vice president of the Iowa Food Bank Association and a trustee of the Coffin Fine Arts Trust.

Michelle is the mother of two adult children. She lives in Des Moines with a big, happy Goldendoodle and enjoys practicing yoga, spending time outdoors, creating in the kitchen and reading.

Carrie Dodds

Carrie Dodds serves as the Vice President of Grower Development for the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, and Iowa Corn Growers Association.  She is responsible for increasing membership, promotion of all Iowa Corn events and making sure all communications on the benefits of the Iowa Corn Checkoff gets filtered down to the grassroots members. She manages a team of nine District Field Managers who are the boots on the ground and the grassroots extension of all Iowa Corn programs.  This means that she could be hosting international groups at a farm, holding recruiting events, managing a pump promotion, hosting water quality field days and speaking to students about the 4,000 every day products of corn all in one week! Every day is different and that’s what she loves most about her position.

Ms. Dodds joined the staff in October of 2006 and has held positions in both Market Development and the Grassroots Departments.  Prior to Iowa Corn, Dodds was the office manager of a 40,000 head feedlot in North Central Nebraska.  Agriculture runs deep in her family and she considers herself lucky to work in the industry that has given so much to her. Carrie and her husband Dustin   have three sons, Grady, Beau and Landry, and live on a farm in Saint Charles, Iowa.

Billy Rhamy

Communicator with more than 20 years of experience in producing successful campaigns to promote brands. Skilled in building positive relationships with internal and external work groups. Quality of work and a desire to do new and more and better is a priority.

It's important to be engaged in your work and keep growing professionally. After years in the health care industry I love so much it was time for a change. Even though health care brought me joy and I miss the people and the mission it was time for a different challenge.

Now I'm working in a new industry with a twist on what I've done for years. I'm energized by the work at Vermeer. I'm inspired by the values of the people at Vermeer. There are a lot of great people doing important work at Vermeer. And I get the privilege of sharing their stories.

Carol Webb

Carol Webb is the City Administrator for the City of Muscatine, Iowa. She worked for the City of Fort Collins in various capacities from 1997 - 2020. After earning her Master of Public Administration at the University of Colorado, she accepted a position as the Muscatine City Administrator and has served in that role since 2020. Her primary responsibilities include working closely with the City Council to develop the long-term vision for the City of Muscatine, developing the City’s annual budget, and managing the day-to-day operations of eight city departments.  Carol is an Ottumwa native, growing up on her family farm, and is grateful for the opportunity to return to her home state to practice her profession and to raise her 14-year-old daughter.

Dawn Oliver Wiand

Recently retired from the Iowa Women’s Foundation after serving as the President and CEO for almost 10 years. Originally from Des Moines, IA. A graduate from the University of Iowa. Returned to Iowa City after 30 years in Kansas City where she served as Executive Director for the Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and worked in the nonprofit field for more than 40 years as a volunteer and professional.  She spent the first 15 years in the public housing field, providing direct services, and then moved into nonprofit management, focusing on fundraising and ultimately providing vision, leadership and management to two women's funds.  

In 2013, the Corridor Business Journal named Dawn as one of the area’s Movers & Shakers. She was recognized by HER Magazine, a publication of The Gazette, as a 2018 HER Women of Achievement Award honoree.

Married to Jerry Wiand

Three children:  Melissa Oliver, Megan Oliver and William Oliver

Two step-children - Ashley Wiand and Clay Greazel

Three grandson and a granddaughter (who have stolen my heart)  with a fifth one on the way – David Lee Doffing, II, Oliver Malish, Gideon Doffing, and Sadie Malish

Interests/Hobbies:  Spending time with family, reading, traveling, gardening and following my sports teams - KU Jayhawks, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Chiefs and Iowa Hawkeyes.  

She truly believes that "improving the lives of women and girls is a must, not only for our families but our communities and, ultimately, our country!"

Pastor Diane K. Koger

Let’s recognize Pastor Diane K. Koger, in being the First African American Female Baptist Pastor in the State of Iowa. This all came to fruition by the request of her Senior Pastor Jonathan B. Whitfield at Corinthian Baptist church to preach on a rotating schedule at Second Baptist Church of Ottumwa, Iowa. With no hesitation, this strong preaching woman of the faith accepted her assignment that God had called her to serve. Pastor Diane had traveled from Des Moines to Ottumwa, Iowa every weekend for over the course of two years preaching at Second Baptist Church of Ottumwa. The church seeing her dedication is what led them to believe she would be a great candidate to pastor their Congregation.

In an official proclamation by Mayor Lazio of Ottumwa wrote that Reverend Diane Koger was ordained in Chicago in 1984 at St. Timothy House of Prayer Church under the leadership of Pastor George Sams Sr. Mayor Lazio also wrote that he'd discovered Rev. Koger believes Second Baptist Church must be "A Church in Action." In the proclamation Mayor Lazio stated, that on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018, would be known as Reverend Diane K. Koger Day in Ottumwa, Iowa to commemorate the First Female African American Baptist Pastor in the State of Iowa. A trailblazer in her own right, Diane continues to be active in her community and leading the people of God.

Pastor Diane has also made her mark in business as owner of Amazing Panda Learning Center in Urbandale, Iowa. She currently holds an A.S. Degree in Early Childhood education from Des Moines Area Community College and also holds a certificate specializing in this field. Pastor Diane has also completed ministerial training certificates in her call to serve. During the time of pursuing her degree she was a full-time mother and held a position in management in the West Des Moines Community Schools.

Pastor Diane a native of Chicago continues her passion for Evangelism. She founded Field Work International Outreach Ministry which includes: Sisters in Christ, Mother's Called to Pray, Kingdom Women and Men in Prayer. In September of 2017, she dedicated her Monday evenings to training a group of women desiring to have a better understanding and relationship with God. Pastor Diane has a passion to shape and transform lives.

Sonia Reyes

Originally from El Salvador, Sonia Reyes is the President and CEO of the Reyes Equity Institute. She is a Multicultural Professional, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, and Advisor on Equity, Representation, Inclusion, Racial, and Social Justice.

Sonia advocates and serves as an ongoing resource for Iowans of Latino heritage, underserved populations, government agencies, businesses, and other organizations by coordinating and participating in statewide economic, social, and cultural efforts. She has been doing grassroots work with the Latino, LGBTQIA communities of color, youth, and low-income Iowans for the past 20 years. She is a national speaker on Latino, immigration, youth, and intersectionality topics.

Sonia came to the United States as an undocumented unaccompanied minor at the age of 16, she graduated from Ganesha High School in Pomona, CA when she was still undocumented, which led her to move to Iowa. She obtained her permanent residency status in December of 2019, started college in January 2020, designed her own major, and graduated from Simpson College with a BA in Intercultural Communication Studies in May of 2022.

Sonia also leads the Office of Latino Affairs for the state of Iowa and has served on various boards, currently, she serves as the Vice-Chair for the City of Des Moines Civil & Human Rights Commission, a Director of the ACLU of Iowa and the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa boards. Sonia has dedicated her professional and personal life to serving Iowa's Latino, new immigrants, and LGBTQIA communities, advocating and fighting for racial and social justice.

Lindsey Newland

After twenty years in the restaurant industry, Lindsey Newland entered the field of Graphic and Website Design so she could help small businesses in small towns all over Iowa develop social media strategies, design beautiful websites and master the art of communication.  As a Google Digital Coach, she will be offering free trainings on all of the Google business products to help our local economy grow.

Holly Bolton, FSMPS, CPSM

A self-proclaimed word nerd, Holly Bolton, FSMPS, CPSM, grew up with her nose in a book and a pencil in her hand. Today, she channels that love of story into her role as owner of 3chord Marketing, a marketing communications firm that helps architecture, engineering, and construction companies understand and connect with their audiences through research, strategy, and content creation. Holly’s 20+ years of experience include serving in a variety of marketing, business development, and corporate communication roles for architecture and engineering firms. The Society of Marketing Professional Service’s 2022-2023 president, Holly has also served as president of the SMPS Foundation and her local Indiana SMPS chapter. She is also a board member for Rebuilding Together Indianapolis. In addition to crafting content for professional services firms, Holly has written for Urban Land online and is co-author of the book A/E/C Marketing Fundamentals. She has a Bachelor of Science in public relations with a creative writing minor from the University of Central Missouri. Passionate about both the built and natural environment, Holly enjoys exploring the U.S. national parks and hitting the trails with her husband.