Des Moines Business Record

Get to know the 2024 Iowa State University Ivy College of Business Commercial Real Estate Professional of the Year: Justin Lossner. We asked him: What’s changed in the commercial real estate sector, particularly office space, since you started your career? "Traditionally you had the C-suite, the big offices and specific space for the executive admin team. It was this hierarchy you saw play out, which can naturally create a little division in how leadership communicates with the workforce. So that’s changed over the past 10 years. We’ve gone away from that to where it’s not completely unheard of for us to have a CEO sitting in a cube next to the sales team or whatever. "The way leadership and the rest of the workforce occupy space has changed. Historically, an office was a dense work environment, which is not efficient and frankly doesn’t promote a lot of collaboration. I’d say about 10 years ago, that’s when we really started to see traction led by tech companies. "I give a lot of credit to how some of these young entrepreneurial companies thought about occupying space, and it was just completely different than the old guard. I think a lot of that flexibility in where you work had already been happening. I don’t know if a whole lot new came out of the pandemic except for the fact it sped up a lot of the stuff." Read more:

Val Air Ballroom owner Sam Summers talked to us about the nearly $15 million in improvements made to the historic venue. Also see photos inside the ballroom and learn about future plans for a restaurant and bar.

Meet Kourtney Kirkpatrick, one of the Business Record's 2024 Forty Under 40. She is the director of advancement at Anawim Housing. She would like to see Central Iowa leaders address the "escalating affordable housing crisis." She says, "The current strategies and interventions, while well-intentioned, are proving insufficient against the scale and complexity of this challenge." Her career and personal passions were formed in her youth. "From a young age, I witnessed firsthand the impact of societal issues on individual lives – how systems can fail people and how circumstances beyond one’s control can drastically alter life’s trajectory. This realization was the catalyst for my commitment to use whatever privilege and opportunities I had to assist others who were not as fortunate. It has influenced my career choices, my volunteer efforts and my daily interactions." https://lnkd.in/gaa4Bgb5

Meet Jon Hummel, one of the Business Record's 2024 Forty Under 40. He is the vice president of commercial banking at West Bank, and he's been promoted eight times in his 15 years of banking. He was named Up & Coming Banker of the Year in 2022 by the Community Bankers of Iowa. Outside of work, he's served on 10 different boards in various capacities. Both of his grandfathers were extremely social, and both of them were also named “citizen of the year” of their communities. "Watching them work a room, and how it impacted not only their careers but also their daily lives, was inspiring to me," he says. "I have been called 'Mr. Never-Met-A-Stranger' more than once. " He says his biggest passion is being a role model for he and his wife's two boys. https://lnkd.in/gcJtuDCH

Join us Thursday, May 16 at 9 a.m. at Des Moines Heritage Center for our next Power Breakfast: Leadership in Changing Times. Persistent economic uncertainty and global disruption, coupled with the rapid evolution of technology and artificial intelligence, present new challenges and opportunities to today’s business leaders. The pace of change that started even before the pandemic is showing no sign of stopping. In addition to managing the rapid rate of change, leaders today are increasingly living in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) environment. In this Power Breakfast, learn from top leaders about how they are preparing themselves for change and leading their teams in a VUCA world. PANELISTS: Pete Brownell: chairman of the board, Brownells, Inc. Miriam Erickson Brown: chair and CEO, AE Dairy Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D.: president and CEO, Des Moines University David Stark: chief of government, external affairs and philanthropy, UnityPoint Health Emily Steele: CEO and co-founder, Hummingbirds Tickets available at https://lnkd.in/gQBz-mxk

John Shors Travel and dsm magazine are partnering to offer an exclusive trip this October to Japan, with visits to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Shors lived in Japan from 1991 to 1994 and has planned a unique itinerary that features several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as authentic cultural activities like tea ceremonies, sushi-making sessions and karaoke nights, all of which offer a glimpse into local life. Want to go? Sign up by June 1. Email shors@aol.com or call 303-885-3885. Space is limited. More details available at this link: https://lnkd.in/gbZaUyCi

Jeff Harpole joined Ruan Transportation Management Systems in March 2020 after launching his career in transportation and logistics with Schneider National in 1990. He spent 17 years with Schneider, moving 10 times, with the last five years at the company’s headquarters in Green Bay, Wis. His family moved to Nashville to be closer to other relatives. There, he began working for Dollar General, where he was responsible for the company’s outbound store delivery operation. Harpole later led all of the company’s transportation operations before leaving to join Ruan. It’s those combined experiences that Harpole believes has prepared him well to lead his team at Ruan. Harpole will become Ruan’s chief operating officer when Dan Van Alstine retires near the end of 2024. The Business Record recently had a chance to sit down with Harpole to discuss the current state of transportation and logistics. https://lnkd.in/gK4AWadp

Today, we celebrate Kathy Bolten’s fifth anniversary. If you caught last week's Commercial Real Estate Forum, you witnessed Kathy’s reporting in action as she delved into all things industry-related for the Business Record. “I’m a curious person. I love getting to know people and sniffing out information,” Kathy said. "I also love writing. It's why being a journalist is a perfect fit for me." Over the past five years, Kathy has tackled numerous critical issues facing our community, from the inspiring story of local businessman Brian Clark surviving a stroke to the latest developments in Des Moines' iconic high-rise buildings. In fact, in 2020, the Alliance of Area Business Publications, BPC’s peer group, recognized the CRE newsletter as the top specialty e-newsletter in its class. Our community truly benefits from Kathy’s expertise, commitment and talent. As she puts it, she feels "blessed to be able to work for a hometown organization," and we're equally blessed to have her on our team. Join us in extending warm wishes to Kathy on this special anniversary!

West Bank began using its new headquarters in West Des Moines in April. See photos from inside the building and learn interesting facts about the building. https://lnkd.in/gG5dyamM