Ben Keith has joined Iowa American Water Company as its director of business development and government affairs, the Davenport-based utility announced. His new role was effective Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Mr. Keith comes to the water utility from MidAmerican Energy Company, where he most recently was vice president of electric transmission.
“We are thrilled to have Ben take on this new role at Iowa American Water,” Iowa American Water President Brad Nielsen said in a Wednesday, Jan. 28, company news release.
“Ben has a wealth of experience in many aspects of the regulated utility business and has held multiple operational leadership roles that give him the perfect background for his new role with Iowa American Water,” he said.
In his new role, Mr. Keith will focus on legislative priorities, drive change in public policy, and amplify efforts in external stakeholder engagement. Additionally, he will lead business development for Iowa American Water, focusing on strategy and origination. The position is a newly created role.
Extensive resume
Mr. Keith brings extensive experience having worked for MidAmerican since 2009. He held roles of increasing responsibility in operational excellence, engineering, capital planning, project management, and customer and stakeholder engagement.
He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Mr. Keith is licensed as a professional engineer (PE) by the Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. He was named one of the 2026 QCBJ Regional Leaders and was a QCBJ Forty Under 40 honoree in 2024.
Iowa American Water, whose service area includes the Quad Cities, is a subsidiary of American Water. It’s the largest U.S. regulated water and wastewater utility company.
With a history dating back to 1886, the parent company provides safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people. The companyt has regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. In Iowa, the utility served about 227,000 people.
Iowa American Water employs a total of 6,700 professionals across its markets. For more information, visit amwater.com.
