Seven members of the Drake University community were named to the Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40 class for 2019.

The Business Record issues its annual list to honor Greater Des Moines area professionals under the age of 40 who have demonstrated “impressive career achievements and unparalleled community involvement,” according to the publication.

“Drake alumni make meaningful contributions across the globe, and as our Forty Under 40 honorees demonstrate, those contributions begin at home here in Des Moines,” said John Smith, vice president of university advancement. “We are very proud of this year’s honorees—and of the 67 Bulldogs who have received this distinction since 2013. They are part of what makes Des Moines such a special place to live and work.”

The 2019 honorees with Drake affiliations are:

Caroline K. Bettis, Juris Doctor (2012)
Associate at Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor & Fairgrave, P.C.

Shannon (Mason) Bielski, Juris Doctor (2007)
Deputy General Counsel at DLL Finance

Matt Blake, Juris Doctor (2015)
Director, Government Relations & Member Services at LeadingAge Iowa

Joe Murphy, Master of Public Administration (2013)
Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy at the Greater Des Moines Partnership

Robert L. Palmer, Bachelor of Arts in Law, Politics, & Society (2010) and Juris Doctor (2014)
General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at Iowa League of Cities

Katie Stull, Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations (2006) and Master of Business Administration (2010)
Chief Human Resources Officer at DART (Des Moines Area Regional Transit)

Chris Verlengia, Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Writing (2006) and Master of Communications Leadership (2013)
Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Drake contributes greatly to the long-term economic and cultural vitality of Des Moines and the state as a whole. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors drive more than $413 million in consumer spending annually in the greater Des Moines area. More than 20,000 Drake alumni live in central Iowa, and their contributions include a more than $2 billion boost to the regional GDP.

This year’s Forty Under 40 recipients were identified online on Feb. 8. They will be profiled in the March 15 edition of the Business Record and recognized at an event on March 28.