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1 week ago | 
businessrecord.com | Kathy A. Bolten |Suzanna de Baca
How many of us as leaders can honestly say we have always been OK? I certainly can’t. My own journey, and my observations of others in leadership, have highlighted the profound impact of mental well-being – or the lack thereof – on effectiveness and overall life satisfaction. It’s been a crucial lesson, learned through witnessing both struggles and positive interventions, to actively prioritize mental health, not just for myself but also in fostering healthy environments for others.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Michael Crumb |Suzanna de Baca
Downtown housing, conversion of vacant office space, adaptive reuse and challenges facing the commercial real estate market caused by tariffs, interest rates and uncertainty around changes in the state’s property tax structure. Those were among the topics discussed during the Business Record’s Commercial Real Estate Trends and Issues Forum held Thursday, April 24, at the Hilton Downtown Des Moines.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Michael Crumb |Suzanna de Baca |Kathy A. Bolten
MVP Hospitality Iowa Inc., located in West Des Moines, paid Adi Lakshmi Lodging Inc. $2.7 million for property at 4995 Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, Polk County real estate records show. The 1.8-acre parcel includes a two-story, 111-unit hotel built in 1971. The property is valued at $2.4 million. The transaction was recorded April 21. Calia 7 LLC, located in Costa Mesa, Calif., paid Silhouette Residential Housing Cooperative $3.5 million for property at 3720 57th St. in Des Moines, records show.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Michael Crumb |Suzanna de Baca |Kathy A. Bolten
The total valuation of data center properties that are either fully developed or are in the process of being developed increased 5.1% in 2025 from 2024, a review of valuations in Polk, Dallas, Madison and Warren counties show. In 2025, the total assessed valuation of the nine properties owned by Apple, Meta and Microsoft in the four counties totaled just over $3.755 billion, the review shows. In 2024, the total valuation of the properties was $3.572 billion.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Suzanna de Baca |Kathy A. Bolten |Michael Crumb
Wells Fargo’s downtown Des Moines office building at 206 Eighth St. would be converted into a hotel with a rooftop restaurant, according to a filed with the city of Des Moines. An adjacent Wells Fargo building at 207 Ninth St., would be converted into meeting and office space with a wellness center and spa, and ground-level parking, the documents, filed earlier this month, show.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Suzanna de Baca |Kathy A. Bolten
For the first time in 35 years, the U.S. Academic Decathlon National Finals will be in Des Moines. The competition will run from May 1-3 at the Iowa Events Center. Catch Des Moines has announced that the event will involve nearly 700 of the country’s top high school scholars and will generate about $894,000 in direct economic impact. The academic tournament challenges students across 10 events ranging from math and science to art, literature and public speaking.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Suzanna de Baca |Kathy A. Bolten
Alex CoggeshellAlex Coggeshell has been hired as library director by the city of Pleasant Hill. Coggeshell replaces John Lerdal, who retired earlier this year after serving 34 years as the community’s library director. Coggeshell most recently was library director for the Ripon Public Library in Ripon, Wis., where she directed library operations and supervised a staff of 15. Before taking the job in Ripon, Coggeshell was the adult services librarian at the Waukee Public Library for seven years.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Suzanna de Baca |Kathy A. Bolten
Bankers Trust has hired Brett Hartema as its next chief financial officer, succeeding Kip Albertson, who is retiring from the role on Wednesday. Albertson was honored as the Business Record’s 2025 Deloitte CFO of the Year earlier this year. Hartema has spent the last 24 years at RSM US, LLP, where he most recently served as a partner.
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2 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Suzanna de Baca |Kathy A. Bolten
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Genvax Technologies, an animal vaccine startup located in Ames, are investing $278,163 into a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research grant to develop an avian influenza vaccine for dairy cows. The avian influenza type A, or H5N1, virus has spread to dairy cows for the first time, and because the virus is an emerging pathogen in cattle, no vaccines are available, according to a news release.
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3 weeks ago | 
businessrecord.com | Kathy A. Bolten |Connor Spencer |Suzanna de Baca
Flashback to April 2020. One month into the pandemic, the world stood still. As CEO of BPC, my days were a blur of Zoom calls and frantic news updates. Remote work became the norm, and businesses collectively held their breath, seeking direction amid the chaos. Innovation was no longer optional. It was survival. My leadership mantra: Guide with clarity, project calm and seek opportunity within the crisis. Rewind to 2008.
