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.
Jordan Montgomery, owner of Montgomery Companies, is a highly regarded performance coach and keynote speaker whose clients include business executives, sales organizations, and entrepreneurs. Jordan travels the country speaking and coaching executives at Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, and sales people. Jordan’s authentic, engaging and powerful presentations have become nationally recognized. He has shared the stage with Jon Gordon, Aeneas Williams, Rory Vaden, Ron White, David Akers, Elizabeth Smart and Tom Ferry. In addition to his work speaking and coaching, Jordan is an accomplished business leader who has managed top-performing sales teams in the financial services industry. In 2020, Jordan was named a Top 20 Entrepreneur by Yahoo Finance. Jordan resides in Tiffin, Iowa with his wife Ashley, and his three daughters, Audrey, Claire and Olivia. When he is not writing, coaching, or speaking, Jordan spends time with his family and enjoys the outdoors. He is a lover of sports and all things Iowa Hawkeyes!
Kingsley Botchway II is the Chief Officer of Human Resources and Equity for the Waterloo Community School District. He was hired into his current position in July 2018. Previously, he was the Director of Equity and Staffing for the Iowa City Community School District. His current role encompasses leading, directing and managing personnel, state and federal law compliance, reviewing disaggregated data, and pursuing initiatives to reduce disproportionality within the District. Botchway is an avid believer of transformational equity leadership and action in K-12 education. He has given a number of keynote addresses at conferences throughout the state of Iowa on how to achieve true equity within our school system. 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 color, and introducing race conscious approaches to Iowa City policies, procedures, and protocols. Currently, he is a founding board member of 24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium (BLAC). In his personal time, he is a life partner to an amazing woman/leader/mom/shero and advocate for disability rights, Bethany Jura. Together, they have two kids, Trey and Kai.
