DES MOINES, Iowa — Forty leaders from across Iowa have been selected to participate in the 2025-26 Leadership Iowa program, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Foundation recently announced.
The program, Iowa’s premier issues-awareness initiative, has engaged more than 1,500 Iowans since its inception in 1982, representing a diverse range of industries, companies and backgrounds from every corner of the state. Leadership Iowa aims to educate, inspire and connect a network of informed leaders, fostering their continued engagement at local and statewide levels.
“The 2025-26 Leadership Iowa class reflects leaders who are committed to the future of our state and who are eager to learn and collaborate,” ABI President Nicole Crain said in a news release. “When 40 top business, education and community leaders from all corners of the state come together, this experience will undoubtedly make a lasting impact on their communities and beyond.”
Of the 40 students, two participants are from the area, Britteny Carstens, Long Grove, of Junior Achievement of the Heartland and Kim Failor, Muscatine, of Phelps Uniform Specialists.
The 2025-26 class will travel to various Iowa communities for a series of two-day monthly sessions, running from October to June. Each session will allow participants to explore important state-related topics through discussions with subject-matter experts, interactive experiences and industry tours.
Session topics and hosts change annually. This year’s communities and topics include:
- Indianola: Opening Retreat (October).
- Fort Dodge: Agriculture & Renewable Resources (November).
- Cedar Valley: Workforce & Economic Development (December).
- Des Moines: Government (January 2026).
- Muscatine: Manufacturing (March).
- Decatur County: Education (April).
- Perry: Rural Vitality (May).
The class will graduate at ABI’s annual conference in Iowa City/Coralville next June.
The Presenting Sponsors of the 2025-26 Leadership Iowa program are EMC Insurance and John Deere.
