IOWA ABI - Key Persons

JD Davis is Vice President, Public Policy for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI). He leads policy development, legislative and executive branch lobbying, and is lead advisor to the association's political action committee.

Jeff Dentlinger

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title West Central Representative

Jenny Steffensmeier

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Jerry Krantz

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Jessi McQuerrey

jm..@iowaabi.org

Job Titles:

Foundation Director of Programs

Joe Benesh

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title Central Iowa Representative / Company the Ingenuity Company

John Economos

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title Program Chair, Leadership Iowa University

John Riches

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Josh Byers

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Joshua Wilford

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Kathryn Kunert

Job Titles:

Member of the Executive Committee
Title Secretary / Company MidAmerican Energy Company

Katie Hall

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Kellan Longenecker

Job Titles:

Member of the Executive Committee
Title Treasurer / Company General Mills Operations Inc.

Kelli O'Brien

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Kelly Barrick

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title Chair, Leadership Iowa

Kelly McGriff

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Kelsey O'Connor

Job Titles:

Marketing and Communications Director

Ken Feldmann

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Company Employee

Kendall Antle

ka..@iowaabi.org

Job Titles:

Foundation Programs & Engagement Coordinator

Kerry Servas

ks..@iowaabi.org

Job Titles:

Membership Development Services

Kevin Lentz

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Kim Augspurger

Job Titles:

Chairman of the Executive Committee
Title Immediate past Chair

Kim Butler Hegedus

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title past Chair / Company Community State Bank

Kirk L. McCollough

Job Titles:

Member of the Executive Committee

Lesley Bartholomew

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Levi Lefebure

ll..@iowaabi.org

Job Titles:

Member Services Coordinator

Liz Hobart

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Lori Schaefer Weaton

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title Chair

Lori Thielen

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title NE Iowa Representative / Company Rainbo Oil Company

Mary Landhuis

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title SW Iowa Representative

Matt Bemrich

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Matt Doty

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title Vice Chair, Leadership Iowa

Michael Ralston - President

mr..@iowaabi.org

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
President
ABI President
Title Secretary / Treasurer / Company Iowa Association of Business and Industry

Michael Ralston was elected president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) in November of 2005. Prior to his service as ABI President, Ralston was appointed by Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and served for almost three years as Director of Revenue for the State of Iowa. He led a staff of nearly 400 employees in administering Iowa's tax laws, collections operations, internal audit systems and other essential functions. From 1999 to his appointment, Ralston was Director of Policy and Law for Iowa for Qwest Communications, an international Fortune 500 telecommunications and broadband services company. Ralston led the company's governmental affairs and community affairs in Iowa, with primary responsibility for representing Qwest with Iowa's Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the Iowa General Assembly, and the Iowa Congressional Delegation. Prior to joining Qwest in 1999, Ralston was president of the Iowa Taxpayers Association, a statewide corporate tax policy organization. In the past, Ralston has served as the chief executive of a local government tax research organization, as a corporate vice president with a health services company, and as chief Iowa assistant to former Congressman Cooper Evans. Ralston was elected mayor of Grundy Center, Iowa at age 18 and re-elected three times. Ralston is a past member of the board of directors of the Iowa's Jobs for America's Graduates program, is a past member of the of the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Governmental Research Association, the Deputies Committee of the Iowa Business Council, the Board of Directors of the Iowa Taxpayers Association, and is a graduate and past chairman of the Board of Governors of the Leadership Iowa program. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Federation of Tax Administrators, and is a member and past member of several other boards and organizations. Ralston holds a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, which recognized him as an Outstanding Alumnus in 1992.

Michele Waber

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors
Title SE Iowa Representative

Michelle Vollstedt

mv..@iowaabi.org

Job Titles:

Executive Administrative Assistant

Mindi VandenBosch

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Nicole Crain - EVP

nc..@iowaabi.org

Job Titles:

Executive Vice President
Executive Vice President for the Iowa Association of Business

Nicole Crain is Executive Vice President for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. She handles finance and operations for the organization and leads the partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on child care issues. Crain previously served as Senior Vice President, Public Policy and also as Director, Government Relations. During that time, she was engaged in working on members' behalf on employment, environmental and economic growth issues. Before returning to ABI in 2012, Nicole was President of the Iowa Taxpayers Association, a statewide business tax policy organization. She has also served as Director of Government Affairs for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa, where she worked closely with the national association to activate Iowans in the fight to defend Iowa's Right to Work law. Nicole is a magna cum laude graduate of Simpson College, which recognized her as an outstanding alumnus in 2010. Following college, Nicole spent almost two years in Washington, D.C. with the firm of Lesher & Russell, where she worked on behalf of global agri-business companies on federal issues. She is also a former intern for U.S. Senator Charles E. Grassley. Nicole is a native Iowan and is involved with many boards and task forces on behalf of ABI. In addition, she continues to be involved with her alma mater and serves on the Board of Trustees.