Iowa Ideas 2025 | The Gazette

Iowa Ideas 2022 Keynotes

Opening Keynote

Opening Keynote Speaker, October 13, 2022

Simon Estes

Iowa Native • Internationally-acclaimed Bass Baritone
About Simon
Simon Estes is a trailblazing musician and humanitarian who is known internationally for his operatic bass-baritone voice. Estes was born in 1938 in Centerville, Iowa. His grandfather was a former slave and his father worked as a coal miner. Estes was active in the church growing up. Participating in church music was a catalyst for Estes's career as a singer.In 1957, Estes started his studies at the University of Iowa, initially declaring pre-med as his major. After exploring pre-med, psychology, and religion, he landed on vocal music.

Estes was the first black singer in University of Iowa's "Old Gold Singers" and later studied opera. After graduating from University of Iowa, Estes fundraised in order to continues his studies. This time, at the Julliard School in 1964.In 1965, Estes made his professional opera debut in Berlin. This led to a busy few years performing in opera houses in Paris, Hamburg, Vienna, and many more. In 1981, Estes was offered a contract to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. In addition to his career as a performer, Estes has held professor roles at the Julliard School, Des Moines Area Community College, Wartburg College, Iowa State University, and Boston University.

In 1983, Estes co-founded The Simon Estes Educational Foundation with Jayne L. Reed of Tulsa, Oklahoma.The foundation has raised millions of dollars for scholarships for Tulsa-area high school seniors. Recipients have gone on to attend some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country for areas of study beyond music.In 2022, Estes announced his retirement from his professional performing career. In his 60 year career, Estes has performed in more than 100 roles with 84 major opera companies.

Follow Simon

Twitter
Opening Keynote Speaker

Simon Estes

Iowa Native • Internationally-acclaimed Bass Baritone
Friday Keynote

Friday Keynote Speaker, October 14, 2022

Michele Shelton

International Speaker • Author • Consultant • Social Justice Advocate
About Michele
Michele L. Shelton, CDP, CPC, is the founding CEO and Principal Consultant of Michele Shelton LLC, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm based in Louisville, KY. As an international speaker, author, executive coach, and thought leader on DEI, specializing in race and gender, she is well-respected for empowering organizational leaders to confront and conquer the “-ism's” that threaten both our humanity and the bottom line at work and beyond. Along with her team, Michele is on a mission to support communities and organizations by creating inclusive, equitable cultures that acknowledge, affirm, and add value to the total experience of every person under their influence.

For over 20 years, Michele has held leadership roles providing oversight to equal opportunity and diversity efforts as a city and state government official, corporate executive, and nonprofit program manager of workforce development initiatives launched and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and National Urban League. She is a founding member of Louisville Women in Business for Good, a professional member of the National Speakers Association, Society for Human Resource Management, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, and Leadership Louisville. Michele has been featured in The Louisville Defender, Courier-Journal, Today's Woman magazine, as well as in national Who’s Who publications, podcasts, radio, and television. In addition to honors from community organizations, Michele received recognition as a Top 100 Diversity Trailblazer in 2020, and she is the 2021 Alumni Fellow of the Year for the University of Louisville College of Arts & Sciences. Michele continues to make an impact by serving on boards advancing equal opportunity and equity in education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

An alumna of the University of Louisville and Louisville Seminary, Michele also holds several certifications for diversity, leadership training, coaching, and ministry. A contributing author to three international anthologies, she is currently working on her fourth and solo title, The Simplicity of Diversity. For more information visit www.micheleshelton.com .

Follow Michele

Twitter
Friday Keynote Speaker

Michele Shelton

International Speaker • Author • Consultant • Social Justice Advocate
Closing Keynote

Closing Keynote Speaker, October 14, 2022

Dan Gable

Iowa Native • University of Iowa Wrestling Head Coach • Olympic Wrestling Medalist • World Champion
About Dan
Dan Gable, one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time, became the sport's greatest coach during a 21-year career at the University of Iowa.

He was a three-time Iowa state high school champ and a two-time NCAA champ at Iowa State, winning his first 182 matches before a loss in the NCAA finals his senior year. He went on to win several international titles, including the 1972 Olympic gold medal without surrendering a point.

After two years as an assistant coach at Iowa, he took over the program and directed the Hawkeyes to 21 consecutive Big Ten tournament titles and 15 NCAA team titles. His dual-meet record was 355-25-5. A member of the Olympic Hall of Fame, among many others, In 2020 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Follow Dan Gable

Twitter
Closing Keynote Speaker

Dan Gable

Iowa Native • University of Iowa Wrestling Head Coach • Olympic Wrestling Medalist • World Champion
Closing Keynote

Closing Keynote Speaker, October 14, 2022

Clarissa Chun

University of Iowa Wrestling Head Coach • Olympic Wrestling Medalist • World Champion
About Clarissa
During her career, Clarissa Chun won five U.S. Open titles. She was a 2011 Pan American Games silver medalist and won four gold medals at the Pan American Championships. She was a runner-up at four U.S. World Team Trials and three U.S. Opens, in a career which spanned 18 years competing at the Senior level.

A two-time Olympian, she took fifth at the 2008 Beijing Games before earning a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games, competing at 48 kg. Chun wrestled at five Senior World Championships, which included a gold-medal performance at the 2008 Worlds in Tokyo. She also competed at the 2000, 2009, 2011 and 2012 World Championships.

Chun was named head coach of the University of Iowa women’s wrestling team on Nov. 18, 2021. Chun is the first head coach in the history of the program. Iowa announced on Sept. 23, 2021, that it was adding women's wrestling as an intercollegiate program, becoming the first NCAA Division I, Power Five conference institution to offer the sport.

Follow Clarissa Chun

Twitter
Closing Keynote Speaker

Clarissa Chun

University of Iowa Wrestling Head Coach • Olympic Wrestling Medalist • World Champion

Featured Speakers

Director Debi Durham

Debi Durham is a longtime economic and community development professional who serves as executive director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA). Durham was named to the position by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in January 2019. Durham was first appointed to lead IEDA in 2011 and has turned the agency into a successful public-private partnership, landed billion-dollar economic development projects for Iowa and worked tirelessly to expand trade and investment opportunities for the state. She was appointed to lead IFA in 2019, when Governor Reynolds recognized an opportunity to further bolster Iowa's communities and economy by bringing together IFA and IEDA. Durham prides herself on building coalitions, supporting new ventures and strengthening the state’s industries and communities.

Prior to joining IEDA/IFA, Durham served as president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Her several accolades include being recognized as one of the 'Most Influential Business Leaders' in the 2020 and 2019 Des Moines Business Record Book of Lists and receiving the Technology Association of Iowa's 'Legislative Advocacy Leader' award in 2017. Durham also was recognized by the Business Record as a 'Woman of Influence' in 2016, and she received the Christian Petersen Design Award from Iowa State University’s College of Design in 2015. Durham holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing and Management from Missouri Southern State University.
Director Beth Townsend

Director Beth Townsend has general supervision over the various services Iowa Workforce Development provides to Iowans. The Director prepares, administers, and controls the budget of the agency and its divisions along with Rod Roberts, Commissioner of the Division of Labor and Joseph S. Cortese, II, Commissioner of the Division of Workers' Compensation.

Director Townsend has been in her current position since 2015 when she was first appointed by Governor Branstad and unanimously confirmed by the Iowa Senate on March 24, 2015. Director Townsend was reappointed by Governor Reynolds in January, 2019, and again confirmed by the Iowa Senate. Director Townsend previously served as the Director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Director Townsend served in the Air Force Reserve and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 21 years of active and reserve duty.

Main menu

Iowa Ideas 2022 Keynote Speakers

Iowa Ideas 2022 Keynotes

Opening Keynote

Friday Keynote

Closing Keynote

Closing Keynote

Featured Speakers

Iowa Ideas 2022
Keynote Speakers