2025-2026 WDM Leadership Academy Class
Janel Allison
AtheneKatie Bertness
Merkle Retirement PlanningEmma Brock
Eide BaillyPiper Brodsack
Indigo LivingToshia Burrell
Redefine & Reveal Massage Therapy & BodyworkBill Butters
WellabeDavis Carlson
Perficut Site ManagementBlake Dabney
West BankLaurel Feakes
NCMICMichelle Flattery
The Great Outdoors FoundationChristina Gayman
Syverson Strege, Director, Communications & MarketingTraci Glass
West Des Moines Public Library (City of WDM)Evan Guest
Guest StrategiesBrett Guy
Northwest BankJennifer Hahn
Youth Justice Initiative (YJI)Anna Heroux
Hubbell Realty CompanyBrandon Hufford
City of West Des MoinesDr. Erlin Kakkanad
Principal Financial GroupDrew Kneeskern
IMT InsuranceVanessa Marcano-Kelly
Caracas Language Solutions, LLC, Owner/Lead linguistClaire Michel
Holmes MurphyKyle Nielsen
Merchants Bonding CompanyNathan Repprecht
R&R Realty GroupWilliam Rings
Rings LawKristina Sharp
Iowa RealtyClint Sloss
Hubbell Realty CompanyAlex Stork
Hurd Real EstateGina Swanson
Gina Swanson Real Estate - Century 21Eric Tubbs
Nyemaster Goode, PCAlyss Vernon
Olson-Larsen GalleriesCal Wagner
University of Iowa Tippie College of BusinessJenna Wheeler
Dentons Davis Brown Law Firm, AttorneyAustin Whetstone
Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance CompanyJami Yoder
Sammons Financial GroupKristen Mott
Kristen Mott - Individual MemberJanel Allison
Athene
Katie Bertness
Merkle Retirement Planning
Emma Brock
Eide Bailly
Piper Brodsack
Indigo Living
Toshia Burrell
Redefine & Reveal Massage Therapy & Bodywork
Julie Burtnette
Des Moines Children's Museum, Executive Director
Bill Butters
Wellabe
Davis Carlson
Perficut Site Management
Blake Dabney
West Bank
Brian Detrick
Signal Security, Operations Director
Ryan Drake
Local 5 News - We Are Iowa (ABC Affiliate), Director of Sales
Laurel Feakes
NCMIC
Michelle Flattery
The Great Outdoors Foundation
Christina Gayman
Syverson Strege, Director, Communications & Marketing
Christina Gayman joined Syverson Strege in 2022 as Director of Communications & Marketing after spending the previous 12 years in corporate communications roles at large companies in the grocery and construction industries, including Hy-Vee, Inc., and Caterpillar, and leading client accounts at marketing agencies Two Rivers Marketing in Des Moines and Zenzi in San Diego.
Writing is her passion, and the first seven years of her career were spent as a newspaper and magazine writer in Florida and Alabama near where she grew up. Christina has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida and has her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Alabama. She is also an Accredited Public Relations (APR) professional who loves to create and implement strategic communications and marketing campaigns.
Bryan Geelan
West Des Moines Community Schools, Communications Director
Traci Glass
West Des Moines Public Library (City of WDM)
Evan Guest
Guest Strategies
Brett Guy
Northwest Bank
Jennifer Hahn
Youth Justice Initiative (YJI)
Anna Heroux
Hubbell Realty Company
Brandon Hufford
City of West Des Moines
Dr. Erlin Kakkanad
Principal Financial Group
Drew Kneeskern
IMT Insurance
Vanessa Marcano-Kelly
Caracas Language Solutions, LLC, Owner/Lead linguist
Vanessa C. Marcano-Kelly is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. She is a certified court interpreter in the state of Iowa, owner and lead linguist at Caracas Language Solutions, LLC since 2015. She is also a contracted translator with Principal Financial Group, a Fortune 500 Company.
Vanessa specializes in community, conference, and legal interpretation, as well as translation, subtitling, and some voice over work. She began regularly interpreting and translating during her work as a community organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement from 2012 to 2014, and a year after realizing her passion for this profession, she obtained the Iowa Spanish Court Interpreter Certification, which she has held since 2015 (Class A).
Vanessa’s interpretation and translation experience is varied and multifaceted. Past performance includes: Sen. Bernie Sanders, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, former Democratic presidential candidates Sec. JuliĂ¡n Castro, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren; community meetings with the US Department of Labor, former US Congressman Tom Latham, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario, among others. Vanessa is the 2014 recipient of the LULAC Iowa Latino Leadership award, a 2014 graduate of the Latina Leadership Initiative and a 2015 New Leaders Council Fellow. She graduated with honors with a BA in Global Studies and French from South Dakota State University, and received a judiciary interpretation and translation specialization certificate from Des Moines Area Community College. She serves on the board of directors of the Des Moines Film Society, and the inaugural board of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice.
Claire Michel
Holmes Murphy
Kyle Nielsen
Merchants Bonding Company
Nathan Repprecht
R&R Realty Group
William Rings
Rings Law
Kristina Sharp
Iowa Realty
Clint Sloss
Hubbell Realty Company
Alex Stork
Hurd Real Estate
Gina Swanson
Gina Swanson Real Estate - Century 21
Tyler Timko
EDEN+ Fundraising Consulting, Vice President
Eric Tubbs
Nyemaster Goode, PC
Alyss Vernon
Olson-Larsen Galleries
Jessica Verwers
Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines, Director of Membership
Cal Wagner
University of Iowa Tippie College of Business
Jenna Wheeler
Dentons Davis Brown Law Firm, Attorney
Litigation attorney with Dentons Davis Brown. Additional experience with commercial property tax appeals.
Austin Whetstone
Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company
Jami Yoder
Sammons Financial Group
Mary McCarthy
Resilience & Grace, Owner and Instructor
Kristen Mott
Kristen Mott - Individual Member