Events

TOM BRENNAN, Chief Merchandising Officer
Casey's  

Tom is the Chief Merchandising Officer of Casey’s and he has been in the role since the end of October 2019.  As Chief Merchant, he is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the company’s overall merchandising, prepared foods, and omni-channel marketing strategy.  Brennan joined Casey’s from CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., the parent of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, where he was Chief Operating Officer responsible for the operations and support of over 3,000 restaurants across the United States.  Prior to CKE, he spent 11 years at 7-Eleven in a variety of leadership roles in merchandising, category management, store development, and operations.  Before 7-Eleven, he worked in the financial planning and analysis group at Target Corporation and he also served six years active duty as an Armor Officer in the U.S. Army.  He holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point.  

Emily Adreon and Matt Coent to facilitate.

Mike Naig Short
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture

Mike Naig grew up on a family farm in the northwest corner of the state near Cylinder, Iowa and he continues to be involved in the operation today. Mike is a graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake with degrees in biology and political science. He and his wife Jaime have three boys. Mike was elected as the 15th Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in November 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. As Secretary, he is committed to lead efforts to expand economic opportunities for Iowans and is an advocate on behalf of the hard-working men and women who keep us fed and fueled.

Todd Jacobus served in the Iowa Army National Guard and U.S. Army for 33 years - deploying in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm, in 2004-05 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and to Kosovo in 2015-16 in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. Governor Reynolds appointed Todd to serve as the Commandant of the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs in 2022; he has oversight of the Veterans Home in Marshalltown, the Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, and the Benefits Bureau at Camp Dodge. Todd is a graduate of Hoover HS, the University of Iowa, and Drake University; he & his wife, Heather, have four adult children, six grandchildren and live in Des Moines. 

Note:  Additional information will be forthcoming regarding meeting location and speaker.

Cade Lambert has served as Head of School at Des Moines Christian School (DMC) in Urbandale, IA, since 2016. He previously served as Head of School at New Life Academy in Minnesota. His education experience also includes serving as Elementary Principal at DMC and as a public school classroom teacher. 

He is passionate about strategically leading organizations in a way that maximizes resources, builds capacity, creates community, and closes the achievement/potential gap. Over his tenure as a school head, he has been involved in four separate capital campaigns. He has led his schools through the strategic planning process and strategic execution. At Des Moines Christian, he is responsible for a $14 million operating budget, more than 1400 students, and more than 280 full and part-time staff. 

In addition to his formal work, Cade currently serves on the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA)  Executive Committee. He has served on the Presidential Advisory Team for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), as a mentor for ACSI’s Leadership U head of school development program, and as Board Chair of the Iowa Association of Christian Schools. Cade holds degrees from the University of Northwestern (St. Paul), where he serves on the Board of Trustees, and Iowa State University in Elementary Education (BS) and Educational Leadership and Administration (M.Ed.), respectively. He and his wife, Jennifer, live with their four children in Urbandale. 

Greg Edwards, President and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau (GDMCVB), has been named Chair of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Board of Directors. This prestigious, international role puts Edwards at the organization's helm for one year.  During his time as Chair, Edwards will oversee strategic planning, the direction of DMAI, and the organization’s efforts to advocate for tourism worldwide. 

Edwards has been with the GDMCVB for 12 years. He also oversees the Des Moines Area Sports Commission (DMASC), under the GDMCVB umbrella since 2006. He has led convention and visitors bureaus in Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa. Edwards has received many awards, from Manager of the Year with Marriott Hotels to being recognized by industry peers at the Upper Midwest Convention and Visitors Bureau 2000 Conference with the Individual Professionalism Award.  He currently serves on numerous boards including the: Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Destination Marketing Alliance, Travel Federation of Iowa, and Susan G. Komen Iowa.

DMAI is the world’s largest and most reliable resource for official destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and CVBs. It is dedicated to improving the effectiveness of more than 3,500 professionals from 600 destination marketing organizations in more than 20 countries. DMAI provides members—professionals, industry partners, students & educators—the most cutting-edge educational resources, networking opportunities, and marketing benefits worldwide.

2024-25 District Governor - Dave Cook

Dr. Andy Nish currently serves as the Medical Director of John Stoddard Cancer Center in Des Moines and is passionate about teaching the community how lifestyle changes can improve the health and health span of all individuals.