2025 Finalists
We are thrilled to introduce the finalists for the 2025 Inspiring Women of Iowa Event.
Inspiring Advocate for Women Award Finalists
Marlena Hemphill
Case Manager at The Beacon
Marlena’s journey exemplifies resilience, determination, and hope. A proud graduate of The Beacon and someone who overcame incarceration, she now dedicates her life to empowering women facing similar challenges. Marlena has worked at The Beacon for three years, rising from Resident Assistant to Case Manager, where she supports clients with compassion, understanding, and unwavering encouragement. Her ability to connect with the women she serves stems from her own lived experiences, making her a powerful source of inspiration and hope.
Marlena celebrates even the smallest victories of her clients, knowing firsthand the courage it takes to overcome barriers. Personally, she has achieved significant milestones, including paying off $13,000 in debt, earning an early discharge from parole, raising her credit score to 746, and buying her first home. Marlena will celebrate five years of sobriety this June and enjoys fishing in her free time. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the belief that every woman is worthy of success.
Lucie M Mordecai
CEO & Founder of ABBA's International Healing Center, Inc.
Lucie Mordecai came from Congo DRC at age 11, and has lived in Iowa City, Iowa ever since. Iowa is her home, it's where she grew up, where she’s raising her two beautiful children. She feels more at home in Iowa than Congo. She doesn’t see herself living anywhere else but Iowa. She claims she is not a hero like many refer to her. She just understands what it means to be a single mother and also being new to any country. Whatever she did for her community and continues to do is the right thing. She believes in helping others and working together as a community, especially during disaster, whether it is natural or human disaster. She believes in children. They are our future.
Dawn Martinez Oropeza
Executive Director of Al Éxito
Dawn Martinez Oropeza is an innovative leader and accomplished artist with over 40 years of experience in education, arts, and community advocacy. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, San Diego.
As Executive Director of Al Éxito, Iowa’s only statewide nonprofit advancing Latinx youth leadership and academic achievement, she has expanded the organization from a single mentorship program to serving thousands of scholars, 5th grade to college, through transformative opportunities and college preparatory programs.
For the past five years, Oropeza has led the Iowa Latinx Project, providing data and research regarding the Latino community.
Her accolades include Business Record’s Women of Influence and the Louise Rosenfield Noun Visionary Award. Her work conserving Cesar E. Chavez’s private office, in partnership with the Smithsonian, is her greatest honor. Ms. Oropeza remains a dedicated mother, artist, educator, and advocate for intercultural understanding and community empowerment.
Amy Roosa
Founder of The Safety Rack
Amy Roosa is the founder of The Safety Rack, an organization dedicated to closing the PPE equity gap for women through education, research, and advocacy. With over 20 years of experience in safety across industries such as construction and general industry, Roosa is a recognized leader in advancing safety standards and fostering inclusivity.
In 2018, she founded the Midwest Women in Safety Conference, which brings together women safety professionals annually for a day of professional development and networking. In 2024, she helped launch the global social media campaign #MyBodyMyPPE to raise awareness of the PPE equity gap and the safety issues women face due to ill-fitting gear.
Through her work with The Safety Rack and her advocacy efforts, Roosa continues to drive meaningful change, ensuring that all women have access to properly fitting PPE and safer workplaces.
Courage Award Finalists
Anna Maria Campos
Compliance Coordinator at Envoy/American Airlines & Board Member of Des Moines School Board
Anna Campos is a dedicated leader serving as a school board member and compliance coordinator for a major U.S. airline. She has made significant contributions to her community by improving district budgets, advocating for safe, walkable streets, and promoting safer schools. In her professional role, she has achieved outstanding results in federal and airline audits, demonstrating a strong commitment to ensuring the highest standards of security and safety for passengers and crew on board each aircraft that leaves. Committed to empowering the next generation of leaders, she inspires young Latinx individuals to pursue public service and leadership roles. Recently, she has started a podcast Not your normal Latina mom, targeting her generation of Latina moms. Anna’s 2025 word of the year is Empowering, and she is determined to empower young Latinas in Iowa. Her motto is teaching them to never become a victim, defend themselves, and defend others.
Chloe Gayer
Government Affairs Associate at Advocacy Cooperative
Chloe Gayer is a senior at Drake University with a passion for grassroots organizing and empowering the voices of those who feel unheard. Her journey in politics began in high school when she helped launch Students Demand Action, now the largest grassroots, student-led organization combating gun violence in America. During the pandemic, she led a successful effort to register over 100,000 young voters in just six months. By her senior year, she was contributing to landmark federal legislation, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Now, as a Government Affairs Associate with Advocacy Cooperative, she represents over 30 organizations across Iowa, committed to ensuring the government truly serves the people. A proud Iowan and lifetime Girl Scout, Chloe uses the lessons of honesty, integrity, and service to guide her work every day.
Rebecca Moomey
Vice President & Senior Private Banking Officer at Bankers Trust
Rebecca Moomey is a Vice President & Senior Private Banking Officer at Bankers Trust where she has been employed for 26 years. Her main responsibilities include the integrated delivery of comprehensive financial solutions to high-net-worth clients. She has a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Northern Iowa.
Rebecca was honored as a Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40 in 2005 and graduated from the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute in 2010.
She spends much of her free time travelling and volunteering for several organizations, including Above + Beyond Cancer, The Sparkle Run and Blank Children’s Hospital.
Loretta Terrell
Founder of Sista Soul Fest
Loretta is a proud mother of two amazing adult children and Tutu (grandmother) to four even more amazing grandchildren. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and was partially raised in Denver, Colorado. Spending most of her summers with family in Iowa, she learned from both her mother and grandmothers the importance of community and how family isn't just blood or sharing the same DNA, but it's the state of one's heart that connects us.
Like her grandmothers, she has always had a heart for the "underdog." Every place of employment has always involved serving others. Loretta discovered the joys of meditation, and it was another tool to serve her community, especially women and young girls. She began teaching meditation and it opened her mind and spirit to greatness unknown. Thus, the vision of Sista Soul Fest was given. Loretta is the founder of this one-of-a-kind phenomenal festival.
Confidence Award Finalists
Erin Clayton Kuhl
Executive and Community Leader
Erin Clayton Kuhl is a finance and operations executive and community leader. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, she is originally from Las Vegas, NV but considers herself an honorary Iowan, calling Des Moines home for nearly 15 years. A Girl Scout herself her entire childhood, Erin’s daughter is also a proud Cadette Girl Scout. Erin is the President of the MercyOne Des Moines Foundation, a Board Member of both United Way of Central Iowa and Oakridge Neighborhood and serves as an Advisor to McGill Junge Wealth Management. Erin is obsessed with bringing people together, making everything better than she found it and creating lasting memories for the people in her life. In a professional capacity in Iowa, Erin has served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Staff of Krause Group, Chief Financial Officer of Kum & Go and Controller of Athene USA.
Dr. Dana R. Levitt
Owner & President of Village Green, LLC
Dana R. Levitt has spent the last 23 years working in multifamily real estate while also volunteering in a leadership position on several Jewish local, national, and international nonprofit boards. She works and leads with an emphasis on Tikkun Olam, which in Judaism means, leaving the world a better place than it was before.
At 19 years old, Dana purchased her first real estate investment property and taught herself how to remodel it. Today, she owns three real estate corporations with the mission to provide housing security for lower than the rental market rates.
Dr. Levitt holds a BS in Administration with a concentration in Operations Management and Finance from California State University, holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of the Pacific, and is certified with the US Department of Homeland Security to increase public safety. She is published in the Stepping Forward Together: Synagogue Visioning and Planning by Robert Leventhal for her innovative strategic methods to help organizations build forward-thinking operational models.
Dr. Abbie Mork
Chiropractor at Price Performance Chiropractic and Co-Founder & Executive Director of Raise the Bar Initiative
Abbie Mork was born and raised in Adel, Iowa where she had a passion for sports. Upon graduating she attended the University of Iowa where she received her bachelor's degree and then continued her education at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport. In 2010 she graduated with her Doctor of Chiropractic and returned to Des Moines where she opened her own practice. She has a passion for helping people and strength training. In 2018 she co-hosted the first Women’s Barbell Classic, which launched a non-profit called Raise the Bar Initiative. An organization focused on teaching women and young girls how to develop strength through strength training and building community. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her partner Jen and doing outdoor activities like walking, biking and hiking. When she is home you will find her reading a book, nesting or snuggled up with her fur-babies, Esme and Theo.
JaCarie Owens
Owner & Therapist at Courageous Minds Counseling, LLC
JaCarie Owens is the proud owner of Courageous Minds Counseling, a thriving group practice dedicated to fostering healing and empowerment through a culturally inclusive lens. With over 15 years of experience in the mental health field, JaCarie has built a practice rooted in diversity, providing a safe and supportive space for clients from all walks of life to heal from trauma, nurture relationships, and reclaim their personal strength.
As a dedicated leader and advocate for growth within the mental health community, JaCarie has established a dynamic internship program aimed at mentoring and equipping aspiring therapists with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in the field. Her commitment to professional development extends to offering clinical supervision and EMDR consultation and training, ensuring that emerging and experienced therapists alike have the tools to provide effective, trauma-informed care.
Character Award Finalists
Patricia A. Barbee
Executive Director of Project Bridging
Patricia Adrienne Barbee is a passionate community advocate and a firm believer in the power of possibility. Grounded by her personal experiences, she strives to be intentional and purposeful in all her endeavors. Above all, she values her deep love for family, friends, and community. Recognizing her gifts as blessings, she dedicates herself to uplifting those around her. With an unwavering commitment to culture and community, Patricia's ultimate aspiration is to leave a positive impact and enhance the quality of life for others. Her philosophy is simple yet profound: "I Am Because We Are."
Alison Hoeman
Founder and Executive Director of Des Moines Refugee Support
Alison Hoeman grew up in WDM and graduated from Valley High School and the University of Iowa. She taught elementary and middle school English Language Learners for 22 years. First, in 3 states and 4 foreign countries, and then at DMPS for 7 years. DMRS was born in 2016 when Alison collaborated with ELL teachers to get basics to 10 refugee families. After having a baby in 2019, she decided that 3 full time jobs were too many, so she left teaching in 2022, and now focuses on her other two loves - being the Director of DMRS and mom of very opinionated 5-year-old Nora. She is also “soccer mom” to over 100 student athletes who bemoan her “former teacher” status, when it comes to school requirements for playing soccer. Alison speaks Spanish and loves reading, soccer, ice cream, and her husband, aka her favorite “voluntold”, Dave McCloney.
Amy Hughes, DO
Mission Cancer + Blood, UIHC, and Founder/Chair of Amadora Legacy Project
Dr. Hughes is a medical oncologist dedicated to providing compassionate care for patients through all phases of their cancer journey. Whether it is the initial diagnosis for an early-stage disease, or the tough discussions that come with end-of-life, she puts patients first. She is passionate about treating the whole person, not just the disease, and she believes strongly in facing life proactively and being prepared for the unknown. Driven by her belief that cancer does not define a patient’s life story, she founded Amadora Legacy Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to create lasting gifts of love by filming the life stories of those with life limiting illnesses. As the Founder and Chair of Amadora, Dr. Hughes empowers participants to share their stories, values, and wisdom with loved ones, fostering meaningful connections and leaving nothing unsaid. Her innovative approach to end-of-life care has earned her widespread recognition and admiration.
Karri Rose
Chief Inspiration Officer at Rose Farm
Karri is the owner + operator of Rose Farm, a 25-acre farmstead located in the rolling hills of Norwalk, Iowa, focusing on sustainability, stewardship of the land, conservation and community-supported agriculture.
Karri's Southern heritage is a gift she uses to bring people together through hospitality, entertaining at the farm and inspiring others to give through philanthropy. Karri is a believer in beautiful celebrations, overseeing all boutique-sized celebrations at the farmstead. With exquisite attention to detail, she makes even the simplest get-togethers special and thoughtful. She is also the founder of Victoria's House, a cozy guest home with accommodations for eight guests on the Rose Farm property where guests are invited to take a sabbatical + enjoy the magic of the countryside.