Nearly half of the honorees on this year’s “Forty Under 40” list by the Des Moines Business Record have Drake University ties.
Seventeen Drake alumni and one staff member were named to the list of local business leaders, under the age of 40, who have shown “impressive career achievements and unparalleled community involvement,” according to the publication.
“This list is a testament to the meaningful impact Drake alumni, faculty, and staff have right here in our local community,” said John Smith, vice president of University Advancement. “The accomplishments of this year’s Forty Under 40 class speak volumes about Drake’s contributions to Des Moines, and we couldn’t be prouder.”
The Class of 2021 honorees with Drake affiliations are:
Shaimaa Aly, GR’10
Vice President, Business Support Manager 4, Wells Fargo
Kenia Calderón Cerón, BA’17
Vice President/Bilingual Business Development Director, GreenState Credit Union
Tyler Coe, AS’11
Member (Partner) Attorney, Whitfield & Eddy Law PLC
Alexis J. Davis, JO’13, GR’17
Communications Project Manager, United Way of Central Iowa & Managing Director, Pyramid Theatre Company
Dylan DeClerck, BN’16
Co-Founder, Can Play
Goizane Esain Mullin, AS’11, JO’11
Partner, Creative Strategy, RBI Marketing
Anthony Ferguson Jr., GR’17, ’20
Director for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, West Des Moines Community Schools
Gregory Lin
Assessment Coordinator at Drake University
Colleen R. MacRae, LW’12
Attorney/Shareholder, Nyemaster Goode PC
Cory McAnelly, LW’11
Intellectual Property Counsel, Patent Attorney, Principal Financial Group
Elizabeth Meyer, LW’09
Attorney, Davis Brown Law Firm
Manisha Paudel, AS’09
Equity Officer, City of Des Moines
Rachel Pfundstein, BN’11, GR’14
Associate Vice President, Client Service – Employee Benefits, Holmes Murphy & Associates
Jennifer A. Rhuppiah, LW’08
Manager of Regulatory Strategy, ITC Midwest LLC
Dave Stone, GR’11
Advocacy Officer, United Way of Central Iowa
Emily A. Stork, LW’07
SVP, General Counsel, Bankers Trust Co.
Manny Toribio, GR’10
Business Development Lead, McClure
Elizabeth F. Zaletel, AS’06
Strategic Sourcing Consultant, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
Drake University’s alumni and staff have developed a strong commitment to enriching Iowa’s long-term economic and cultural vitality. According to 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 metropolitan 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 honorees will be highlighted in the March 20 edition of the Business Record and recognized in a virtual ceremony on April 7 from 4–6 p.m.
Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!