Lynsey Engels is president of Mel Foster Co.’s real estate brokerage division. Prior to advancing into this role in 2013, she was a Realtor® for 12 years. As president, she spearheaded the modernization of several of the company’s offices into boutique style spaces that integrate technology and utilize flexible workspaces for agents who work remotely. Lynsey is currently serving on the board of directors for the John Deere Classic, Trinity Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Therapy Center, GreenState Credit Union, and she is involved with the Grant Wood Elementary School PTA. She coaches in the Bettendorf Soccer Association, is a sustaining member of Junior League of the Quad Cities, and a member of Brainstormers, a real estate industry group. She has been instrumental in raising funds for the Robert Young Center Children and Adolescent Services to help make a difference for children and families struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Lynsey and her husband, Marc, have three daughters and live in Davenport, Iowa.
Frank Lona, SHRM-CP, is a Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons (DMOS). Frank brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for helping people thrive. With a background that spans non-profit, educational, and corporate settings, Frank has developed a unique perspective on what it takes to build and sustain successful organizations.
Before joining DMOS, Frank served as the Director of People Strategy at VizyPay in Waukee, where he led several successful HR initiatives that helped the company and its employees achieve their goals. Frank's dedication to helping others goes beyond his professional life; As a former Catholic Priest who worked in non-profit, educational, and correctional institutions throughout Northwest Iowa, Frank developed a deep appreciation for the importance of building strong, supportive communities.
Frank received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, his Master in Divinity (M.Div) from Saint Meinrad in Meinrad, Indiana, and his Human Resources Management Certification from DMACC. When he's not working, Frank can be found exploring new destinations or tending to his beloved garden. A native of Suburban Los Angeles, Frank now resides in the Waveland Park neighborhood of Des Moines.
Robin Boudreau is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of No Foot Too Small, a local nonprofit, for-purpose organization inspired by the loss of her son Beau in 2013. In 2019, as the organization continued the trajectory of significant local and national growth, Robin resigned from her career in medical sales and leadership after nearly two decades. Called to serve and connect with others from an early age, Robin holds a degree in Family Science; coursework that has proven instrumental in her mission to support and uplift families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. Robin is also the wife of Dr. Ryan Boudreau, an Associate Professor, and proud mother to her earthly children, Bella and Benjamin.
Jill Baker is Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing at RxSense, a private equity-backed healthcare technology company whose mission is to improve transparency and access to more affordable medications for millions across America. At RxSense, Jill is responsible for pharmacy relations and growing brand awareness for the direct to consumer SingleCare brand through TV, Radio and Out of Home advertising. Jill was previously Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Communications at Raise Marketplace. Prior to Raise, Jill spent ten years working in management and brand consulting at The Trium Group and Landor, respectively. Jill holds an MBA from the University of California, Davis, a Masters in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s degree in German and International Business from the University of Iowa. Jill resides just outside of Chicago in Elmhurst, Illinois with her husband Jonathan and son Quincy.
Jasmine Almoayyed joined Kirkwood Community College in July of 2021 as the Vice President of Continuing Education and Training Services. The division serves as a leader in regional workforce initiatives and provides all facets of continuing education and life-learning programs. The division works closely with private, public and non-profit sector partners on creating workforce solutions specific to employment demands while also connecting individuals with tools and resources to upskill or reskill.
Prior to this role, Jasmine created and lead the Economic Development Division of the City of Cedar Rapids. There she led a team responsible for new business and development recruiting, retention, workforce development, strategic planning and marketing. During her tenure, she assisted in projects receiving City assistance netting nearly $2Billion in new capital investment, the creation of 2,122 new jobs and retention of 3,134 jobs. She led the effort for the City of Cedar Rapids’ first Economic Development Strategic Plan, launch of the City’s Economic Development Website, and creation of the Iowa State and Urban Dreams partnerships. She has also assisted in the creation of a number of business assistance programs such as the MICRO Lending program, 2016 Small Business Recovery Loan program, Back CR program, and the Gateways for Growth Initiative. Jasmine and her team also led the business outreach and response following the 2016 Cedar Rapids Flood Fight, 2020 Derecho and 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.
Jasmine holds an AA from Kirkwood Community College, BA degrees in Psychology and Political Science from the University of Iowa and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Iowa State University.
Jasmine is passionate about creating programming and solutions to assist marginalized populations and promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Born to immigrants of the former Yugoslavia, Jasmine understands the importance of education, hard work and helping disadvantaged populations.
She enjoys traveling, live-music and spending time with family. She resides in Fairfax with her husband Andrew, daughter Aya and two cats Elly and Emmy.
Scott Nevitt is an experienced professional in the coaching, banking, and financial sales community with a substantial background in performance growth, leadership enhancement, sales, client service & acquisition, financial planning, life insurance, and income protection. In May 2023, he started at Farm Bureau as a Wealth Management Consultant/Advisor and in April 2024, he transitioned to a District Manager. Previous to Farm Bureau, Nevitt was a Branch Manager of GreenState Credit Union in West Des Moines.
He has been married to his wife, Mitzi, for 21 years and together they have three wonderful children - Jakob, Luke, and Frank. While at the University of Northern Iowa, he earned a B.A. Degree in Finance and was a member of the Track & Field Team. Nevitt enjoys being active, and spending as much time as he can outdoors biking, running, walking, golfing or watching his sons in their sports lives. You can find Scott cheering for anything Iowa Hawkeyes, New York Yankees, and Green Bay Packers!
Kingsley Botchway II is the Executive Director of Human Resources for the UnityPoint Health Waterloo Region which encompasses the counties of Black Hawk, Marshall, Bremer, and Grundy. He was hired into his current position in July 2022. Previously, he was the Chief Officer of Human Resources & Equity for the Waterloo Community School District.
Botchway is an avid believer of transformational equity leadership and action. He has given a number of keynote addresses at conferences throughout the state of Iowa on how to achieve true equity within various organizational systems and structures. Botchway holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of South Carolina, and a professional doctorate in law from the University of Iowa. Botchway has received additional training and certifications from Harvard, Iowa State, Iowa, and Indiana Universities.
Through his work in the community, he has served on many boards and commissions while in Iowa, including five years on the Iowa City Council and two years as Mayor Pro Tem. On the Iowa City Council, he was a staunch advocate in addressing affordable housing, creating economic development for communities of need, and introducing equitable approaches to Iowa City policies, procedures, and protocols. In his personal time, he is a life partner to an amazing woman/leader/mom/shero and advocate for disability rights, Bethany Botchway. Together, they have three kids, Kingsley, Kairos, and Kaavia.
