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FEBRUARY FOCUS: HEALTH CARE | ISSUE 4 OF 4 | 2.28.22
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Good morning and happy Monday!
Here’s what you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:
- The chances that you’ve experienced some mental health challenges, be it symptoms of anxiety, burnout, depression, languishing – you name it – are fairly high. We’re finishing off the month by sharing some videos containing tips and resources from our sister publication dsm Magazine and its Lifting the Veil initiative.
- The newest class of the Business Record’s Forty Under 40 award has been announced – see who’s on this year’s list below.
- Get to know Mary Hunter, the president CEO of Goodwill of Central Iowa.
Also, we’re still seeking your thoughts on gender equality in the state. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to take our annual survey on women’s and gender issues. Responses from the survey will help steer our coverage throughout the year.
Have a great week!
– Emily Kestel, Fearless editor
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If you're experiencing mental health challenges, you're not alone
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BY EMILY KESTEL, FEARLESS EDITOR
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If you were to make a word cloud of all of the feelings and emotions you’ve experienced in the last year, I’m willing to bet that "anxious," "fried," "stressed," "tired," "depressed," "frustrated," "weary," "helpless" or "empty" may be on that list.
You wouldn’t be alone in that, either. I’ve personally harbored all of those feelings in the last two years, and anecdotally, many people within my circles have, too.
The most recent Household Pulse Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 37% of those surveyed reported feeling anxious or depressed. In 2019, that figure was 11%.
The 2021 Women in the Workplace Report by Lean In and McKinsey found that 42% of women were often or almost always burned out at work, compared with 32% the year prior.
Today, we’re sharing a handful of videos from our sister publication dsm Magazine and its Lifting the Veil initiative, which elevates coverage of mental health issues in hopes of reducing stigmas.
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Lifting the Veil – Moms on the edge
The pandemic has affected women even more than men, as parenting responsibilities have fallen disproportionately to the female population. Learn how the events of the last few years transformed women’s mental health and come away with useful advice and resources.
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Lifting the Veil – Caring for your parents
Learn how relationships between adult children and parents have changed due to the pandemic, the mental health ramifications for both parties, and what you can do to take care of your own mental health if you are caring for your parents.
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Meet this year's Business Record Forty Under 40
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Since 2000, the Business Record has honored local leaders who are under 40 and have demonstrated impressive career achievements and unparalleled community involvement.
Women make up more than half of this year’s class. All of the honorees are listed below. We’ll introduce you to them in more detail later this spring – stay tuned!
- Kristyn Arnold - Managing Director, Anawim Housing
- Sarah Barthole - Senior Delivery Manager, Principal Financial Group
- Leslie Berckes - Director of Programs, Trees Forever
- Brandon Bingham - President/CEO, Bing Bang
- Meghan Blum - Founder and Owner, Meghan Blum Interiors
- Devin Boyer - Vice President, Commercial Banking, Community State Bank
- Gracie Brandsgard - Director of Government Affairs, PolicyWorks
- Joe Butler - CEO, Downing Construction
- Matthew Callanan - Partner, Belin McCormick
- Maria Corona - Executive Director, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Torey Cuellar - Assistant County Attorney, Marshall County
- Dustyn Curran - Real Estate Development Manager, Ryan Cos.
- Sarah DeKock - Associate Partner/Senior Vice President of Accounts, Flynn Wright
- Abby Delaney - Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications Officer, Bankers Trust
- Veronica Guevara - Director of Equity and Inclusion, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Majda Hadzic - Executive Market Director, JPMorgan Chase
- Brodey Hanson - Executive Director, The Bridges at Ankeny
- Steve Havemann - Executive Director, St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines
- Christine Her - Executive Director, ArtForce Iowa
- Jordan Juhl - Director of Public Relations, ChildServe
- Micah Kiel - Iowa Philanthropy Director, Wells Fargo
- Kayla Kovarna - Communications, Marketing, and Air Service Development, Des Moines Airport Authority
- Luke Lynch - OpportUNITY Director, United Way of Central Iowa
- Meghan Malloy - General Counsel and Lobbyist, Heartland Strategies
- John Marshall - Senior Manager, McGowen Hurst Clark & Smith
- Tiara Mays - Manager, Contract Negotiation, Aetna
- Maggie McClelland - Director, ICON Water Trails
- Luis Montoya - Chief Planning Officer, DART
- Sarah Mowery - Director of Development, ChildServe
- Eden Pearson - Senior Director, State Government Relations, Nationwide Insurance
- Alex Sandvig - Client Executive, EB/Shareholder, Holmes Murphy
- Jen Schulte - Assistant City Manager, City of Des Moines
- Karter Smith - Consultant, Baton Global
- Patty Sneddon-Kisting - Executive Director, Urbandale Food Pantry
- Ashley Thompson - Director of Government and External Affairs, UnityPoint Health Systems
- Kelli Todd - Director of Government Programs, UnityPoint Health Systems
- Armel Traore dit Nignan - Head of Real Estate Data and Analytics, Principal Financial Group
- Jay Wang - Owner, Wasabi Group
- Billy Weathers - Artist & Curator, B. Well Foundation
- Lindsey White - Control Management Senior Manager, Wells Fargo
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Left: Gov. Kim Reynolds. Center: Jeopardy contestant Amy Schneider. Right: Wellmark's Laura Jackson.
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- Gov. Kim Reynolds will deliver the Republican Party’s rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address March 1. Reynolds is not the first Iowan to enjoy the national honor. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst delivered the rebuttal to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech in 2015.
- "Jeopardy!" star Amy Schneider will speak at the Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth later this spring. In a press release announcing Schneider’s keynote address, Safe Schools Executive Director Becky Smith said: "We’re exceptionally excited to welcome Amy Schneider to Iowa for her keynote, albeit virtually. Amy’s incredible intelligence, skill, and advocacy for the transgender community will undoubtedly give our students a shining role model to follow."
- Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced that Laura Jackson has been named executive vice president for Health Equity, Access and Improvement. In that position, Jackson will lead a new division within Wellmark dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Iowans.
- As the 2022 Beijing Winter Games came to a close, 17 of the 25 medals earned by Team USA were by women – 13 in women’s events and four in mixed-gender events. This is the second straight Winter Olympics where the majority of the U.S. medals were won by women.
- Iowa House Republicans passed a bill last week to ban transgender girls from participating in girls' and women’s sports in K-12 schools and colleges in the state. That means any students who are "biological males," regardless of their gender identity, would not be allowed to compete against biological females.
- The U.S. Soccer Federation and dozens of members of the U.S. women’s national team who sued it for gender discrimination have reached a $24 million settlement. The proposed deal calls for U.S. Soccer to pay $22 million to the class, which includes 61 women, plus $2 million into a fund that those players can access for post-career goals and charitable efforts in women’s and girls’ soccer, though the deal will only be finalized once the U.S. women’s team and U.S. Soccer ratify a new collective bargaining agreement.
- The Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Black Doula Collective have partnered to create a program that offers doula services for free to 40 Black families in four counties across the state. The program seeks to address Black maternal mortality disparities.
- Child care centers could enroll more toddlers per worker under a bill passed along party lines last week by the Iowa Senate – following through on a recommendation by the Child Care Task Force. Under the proposal, one employee could watch up to seven 2-year-olds, or up to 10 3-year-olds. The current law requires one worker for every six 2-year-olds or eight 3-year-olds. Senate Democrats objected to the bill, arguing it would overburden stressed and underpaid child care employees.
- For the first time in its three-year history, the top three finishers of the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Grow Your Future Award this year were all women. The award offers cash prizes to Iowans between the ages of 18 and 35 who provide unique agricultural products and services or work in niche markets.
- According to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of people in the U.S. who died during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth during the first year of the pandemic rose 14%, to 861 in 2020 from 754 in 2019. The increase pushes the nation’s maternal mortality rate to 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births – much higher than many other developed countries.
- The Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa is again hosting the Tippie Women’s Summit this March. The month-long series of events, taking place virtually and in-person, features presentations and conversations with CEOs, published authors and researchers.
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"COME, LOOK UP WITH KINDNESS YET, FOR EVEN SOLACE CAN BE SOURCED FROM SORROW. WE REMEMBER, NOT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF YESTERDAY, BUT TO TAKE ON TOMORROW."
AMANDA GORMAN
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What to read during Black History Month and beyond (Shondaland). The age of anti-ambition (New York Times Magazine). A reading list on ableism and ‘invisible’ disability (Longreads). Our honest, hidden thoughts on race captured in just 6 words (National Geographic). ‘You can fail and not be a failure’: Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on the disappointment of Beijing 2022 (CNN). Your checklist for the coming Great Return (Charter).
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Fearless Editor Emily Kestel and Business Record Editor Emily Barske in downtown Davenport.
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Thanks to everyone who came out to meet us in Davenport last week! We enjoyed hearing from local leaders about the barriers and issues they face, and more importantly, what can be done to address them. Look for coverage from our conversations later this month!
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Closer Look: Meet Mary Hunter, president and CEO of Goodwill of Central Iowa
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BY JOE GARDYASZ, BUSINESS RECORD SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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Mary Hunter is the president and CEO of Goodwill of Central Iowa Photo by Duane Tinkey.
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For the past 15 months, Mary Hunter has used a large whiteboard in her office as an evolving outline of the turnaround strategy that she has led as president and CEO of Goodwill of Central Iowa. The Johnston-based nonprofit saw some of its darkest days during the initial peak of the pandemic as she was coming on board in November 2020, with 75% of the staff at that time furloughed and two of its retail stores permanently closing.
Over the past year, Hunter has striven to take the organization back to the basics of fulfilling its mission of helping people with barriers to employment to be trained and find jobs. In July, Goodwill of Central Iowa raised its starting wage for employees to $15 an hour as part of a cultural revamp for the organization. Additionally, Hunter is determined that Goodwill of Central Iowa will more effectively reach out to the nonprofit and business communities to "tell people why we’re here" and to engage in new partnerships.
Before joining Goodwill, Hunter for 12 years held several executive roles with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, at both the local and national levels. She also spent a large portion of her professional career with Hy-Vee Inc., where she was assistant vice president of real estate during the company’s peak expansion period. She has served as commissioner for the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. She currently serves on the state’s Consumer Advisory Panel and is a member of the Clive Public Arts Commission. At Goodwill of Central Iowa, Hunter fills a role left vacant after the previous president and CEO, Jackie Norris, stepped down to take another position in 2020.
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