Nominations are now open for the 2026 Iowa Women of Achievement Awards, which are designed to recognize the contributions of historical Iowa women on their homestate and beyond.
The annual award honors Iowa women who made outstanding and lasting contributions to the residents of Iowa or advanced the well-being of others around the world. Organized by Women Lead Change, the awards culminate in the inclusion of the winners’ names on plaques on the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge in downtown Des Moines.
To be considered, a nominee must historical (deceased) and fit into at least one of these criteria: Born in Iowa, achieved prominence within Iowa or had been a resident of Iowa for an extended period after achieving prominence elsewhere.
The 2025 honorees included two winners with roots in the Quad Cities region. Last year’s winners were:
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ANN HUTCHINSON Susan Clark, who was hailed as a trailblazer in the integration of Iowa’s Public Schools. Born in Muscatine, Iowa, she lived from 1854 to 1925. After her father Alexander Clark encouraged her to enroll at a public school near home with was turned away on the grounds of racial segregation. Mr. Clark pursued a court case, Clark v. Board of School Directors, in 1868 that went before the Iowa Supreme Court. The court’s ruling allowed her to attend the school nearly 100 years before the transformative U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. the Board of Education.
- Ann Hutchinson, former Bettendorf mayor, was recognized for her city government leadership, her business acumen and for executing a number of key projects across Bettendorf. Ms. Hutchinson, who died in 2023, founded FirstCity Mortgage Corp., held other banking roles, served as regional director of the Eastern Iowa Small Business Development Center and Bettendorf’s mayor from 1988 to 2003. During her tenure, Bettendorf built the Learning Campus, revitalized downtown with the arrival of riverboat gaming, and began preliminary planning for the new Interstate 74 bridge.
- The third honoree, Mary Armbrecht, (1940-2014) held the distinction of being Iowa’s first female police officer, serving 25 years with the Cedar Rapids Police Department. She also became the first sworn female detective in the state in 1973.
For a full list of the honorees over the years, visit wlcglobal.org.
Women Lead Change suggest those making nominations consider these questions: What lasting contributions have been made by the nominee? Are people better because of the contributions of the nominee? Is the state, nation or world better because of the contributions of the nominee? Did the nominee serve as a role model or change agent?
Nominees are selected on merit, not endorsement. Judges also consider if the nominee impacted social, cultural, economic political well-being of the community, state or nation and whether they inspired future generations.
To nominate a Woman of Achievement fill out an application here. The deadline for the 2026 awards is Friday, Aug. 14.
