Ten members of the Drake University community were named to the Des Moines Business Record’s Forty Under 40 class for 2020.
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.
“We are very proud of this year’s honorees—and of the 77 Bulldogs who have received this distinction since 2013,” said John Smith, vice president of University Advancement. “Drake alumni, faculty, and staff from across the globe, and especially right here in our hometown, contribute greatly to transforming lives and strengthening communities. What these young professionals have accomplished is remarkable and speaks volumes about Drake’s contributions to Des Moines.”
The 2020 honorees with Drake affiliations are:
Nicole Barreca Prenger, Master of Communication Leadership (2015)
Director of Communications and Events, The World Food Prize Foundation
Marji Guyler-Alaniz, Master of Business Administration (2006)
President and Founder, FarmHer
Erin Lain, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Graphic Design (2006), Juris Doctor (2008), PhD in Education (2016)
Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion, Associate Professor of Law, Drake University
Amanda Martin,
Assistant Director of Community Engaged Learning, Drake University
Claire Muselman, Master of Public Administration (2008), Educational Administration (2012)
Director of Workers’ Compensation, Continental Western Group; Adjunct Professor, Drake University
Stephanie Oppel, Master of Public Administration (2008), PhD in Education (2019)
Director of Work Based Learning, Des Moines Area Community College; Faculty Affiliate, Drake University
Stephanie Sinovic,
Senior Advancement Officer Liaison to the Harkin Institute and Student Affairs, Drake University
Madeline Sturms, Master of Public Administration (2016)
Community Development Director, City of Pleasant Hill
Miriam Van Heukelem, Juris Doctor (2009)
Attorney, Ahlers & Cooney
Shekinah Young, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, (2008)
Program Officer, Principal Foundation
Drake University contributes to the long-term economic and cultural vitality of Des Moines and the state of Iowa as a whole. According the University’s most recent economic impact study, students, faculty, staff, and visitors drive more than $413 million in consumer spending annually in the greater Des Moines area. In addition, more than 20,000 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 Feb. 19. They will be profiled in the March 16 edition of the Business Record and recognized at an event on Wednesday, April 1 from 4–7 p.m. at the Meadows Events Center at Prairie Meadows.