Board of Directors

Susan Fitzsimmons has served as Vice President and General Counsel of Christensen Development since 2019. Christensen Development has helped transform the commercial core of Central Iowa. The firm is taking a leading role in raising the urban profile of Greater Des Moines through its expertise and experience in creating new buildings and repurposing business properties. Prior to joining Christensen Development, Fitzsimmons served as Vice President and General Counsel of Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Inc., from 2009 to 2018. Fitzsimmons earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa and her Juris Doctorate from Drake Law School. She is a graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.

Fitzsimmons was Vice President and General Counsel of Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Inc., serving from 2009 to 2018. Ruan is a Des Moines based transportation company with 230 locations nationwide and over 5000 associates. In her role at Ruan, Fitzsimmons provides legal oversight to the compliance, risk management, insurance procurement, environmental, contracts and real estate functions of Ruan’s transportation-related family of companies. She also provides legal support to the World Food Prize Foundation.

Throughout her career, Fitzsimmons has been an active volunteer and has served on a number of non-profit boards. She currently serves as President of the MercyOne Foundation board of directors. She is Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines’s board of directors and is a member of the ChildServe board of directors.  In 2021 Fitzsimmons also served as a Chair of the United Way of Central Iowa’s Tocqueville Society.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Anastasia “Stacy” Polydoran earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Science at Drake University in Des Moines. She is a devoted art advocate and collector of contemporary art. With her late husband, she established the Paul and Anastasia Polydoran Collection at the Des Moines Art Center, and regularly gifts contemporary works of art to the museum. She joined the Des Moines Art Center Board of Directors and has been a long standing member of the museum’s Acquisition Committee.

An active member of numerous nonprofit boards and committees throughout Greater Des Moines for many years, Polydoran has served on the Des Moines Symphony Foundation Board of Trustees and as board president for both The Des Moines Community Playhouse and Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa.

Ardis E. Kelley has been a Chief Strategy Officer of Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines since 2018 and served as  Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer from June 2012 to 2018. She joined the Bank  in June 2012. Kelley provides expertise in developing, implementing and monitoring the Bank’s strategic plan and designs, implements and delivers training programs that drive business results for the Bank.

Prior to joining Federal Home Loan Bank, Kelley worked as Assistant Vice President of accounting and reporting at CNA Insurance in Chicago, Illinois. Her previous experience includes Senior Manager of transaction support and accounting policy at Accenture in Chicago, Illinois as well as accounting and audit positions in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, New York City, New York and Los Angeles, California.

She received her Undergraduate Degree in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles and MACC degree from the University of Southern California.

Mary Chapman earned her Education Doctorate degree from Vanderbilt University, Education Specialist’s degree from Drake University, M.S. from Iowa State University and her B.S. degree, also from Drake.

Dr. Chapman joined Des Moines Area Community College in 1990 as the Urban Des Moines Campus Executive Dean/Provost. Under her leadership the campus reached record enrollment levels and created new academic programs in business and information technology.

Since 2000, Dr. Chapman has provided leadership as Vice President for Community and Workforce Partnerships at Des Moines Area Community College. In this role, she worked with central Iowa businesses to identify employment opportunities for underrepresented, as well as disenfranchised youth and adults. She has established many successful partnerships and developed strategies with state agencies and local schools and community organizations to provide employer driven skill based training and education for these individuals to ensure their employment and improve their lives.

In 2013, Dr. Chapman retired from Des Moines Area Community College and was designated Vice President Emeritus.

Dr. Chapman serves on various community and civic ​b​oards including Simpson College Board of Trustees, BRAVO Greater Des Moines Board, Bankers Trust Advisory Board, Iowa Corrections Board, Des Moines Branch NAACP Executive Committee, Iowa Health Des Moines Board, and Des Moines Festival Board. She also is a member of Des Moines Chapter of The Links, Inc. and a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.​ ​She is active as an Opportunity Iowa Leader advancing the national agenda of Opportunity Nation/ Opportunity Iowa to close the opportunity gap for youth between the ages of 16-24.​ ​Her many honors include the Iowa African American Hall of Fame (2005) and the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame (2013).

Jonathan deLima manages the Contemporary art collection for Krause Group, headquartered in Des Moines. He oversees art locations in the US and Europe and developed the art program for the Krause Gateway Center, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Jonathan was previously at Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, and has also consulted for private, corporate, and public collections. He has worked on public art installations across the country – including California, New York, and Illinois. Jonathan’s background in education, specializing in multidisciplinary and experiential education, informs his approach to engagement in the arts.

A Boston native who moved to Des Moines in 1967, Lois Fingerman worked for a number of years as Counseling Manager of Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, Program Supervisor of The Family Violence Center, and Director of Mentor Iowa. As a community activist and volunteer she as served of numerous boards and commissions, including 16 years as a member of the Child Death Review Team of Iowa. Among numerous honors, she was recognized as a Women of Achievement in 2001. Currently, Fingerman is volunteering as a docent at the Des Moines Art Center, as well as a board member of the Art Center and acting chair of the museum’s Acquisition Committee.

Director of the Des Moines Art Center, Jeff Fleming also has served as its acting director, deputy director, senior curator, and curator. He was chief curator of exhibitions at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Fleming studied at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina and holds a master of fine arts degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

His exhibition projects have focused on presenting the first one-person museum shows for younger, international artists. These artists include the American artists Tom Sachs, John Currin, Ellen Gallagher, Maya Lin, and Tom Friedman, as well as the British artist Cecily Brown, the German artists Christian Jankowski and Anselm Reyle, and the Chinese artist Yan Pei Ming. Group exhibition projects have included Magic Markers: Objects of Transformation; Aisle 5; and My Reality: Contemporary Art and the Culture of Japanese Animation. In 2011, Art and Living magazine named him one of eleven innovative directors of American museums.

A native of Des Moines, Martha Graham James was born to John G. and Barbara (Hornaday) Graham, the oldest of their three daughters. She attended Des Moines public schools and graduated from Roosevelt High School. From the University of Colorado, Boulder, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1968. Soon after earning a Master of Science degree in Biology from Drake University in 1985, Martha entered the Department of Genetics at Iowa State University. A Doctor of Philosophy degree was awarded in 1989 for her original contributions to the field of maize genetics. Between 1989 and 1992, she conducted research as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Iowa State University, working with Dr. Alan M. Myers.

Beginning in 1993, Martha was an Associate Scientist in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Iowa State University. This research centered on the characterization of the maize gene, Sugary 1, a gene that acts in the metabolism of starch and is one of the genes responsible for “making sweet corn sweet.” Overall, her research provided a clearer understanding of the processes of starch biosynthesis.

Martha’s work was supported by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and she is the author of several articles published in leading scientific journals.

Martha has been active in many organizations including Iowa Children’s and Family Services, Tiny Tots, Inc., YMCA Youth Home Board, the Young Women’s Resource Center, Junior League of Des Moines, Parent Teacher Associations, and activities of Plymouth Congregational Church of Christ.

A native of Newton, Iowa, Randall Hamilton is a neurologist at Mercy Clinics, Inc., Iowa, where he has practiced in the Greater Des Moines area since 1996. Following his studies in microbiology and medicine at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, he joined the Mercy family to focus his interest in Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Dr. Hamilton travels from Des Moines to Winterset, IA where he directs a general neurology outreach practice.

In 2004, he took a leave of absence from medicine to pursue a lifelong interest in architecture, earning his Masters in Architecture at Iowa State University, Ames in 2007. During his studies at ISU he produced an award-winning film and discovered a passion for producing multimedia art. He often serves as a juror for architecture student critiques at ISU.

He is active member of the Des Moines Art Center Print Club, as well as effective volunteer who has served the museum on several committees. He co-chaired with Dr. Bruce Hughes of the Mercy Foundation’s 2011 Art of Life auction, benefiting Mercy Hospice.

Dr. Hamilton has been playing piano since age seven and is an avid supporter of the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra; he currently serves on its Board of Trustees.

Hentschel leads the corporate planning process working directly with the executive management team and business leaders around the world to advance Principal’s vision and develop and execute plans that evolve strategy across the enterprise. This includes sourcing potential engagements with emerging companies and entrepreneurs both domestically and internationally for innovative solutions that help advance Principal’s strategy.

With a career that spans more than 35 years in the insurance and financial services industry, Hentschel has served on numerous committees, councils and boards.

An art collector, he previously owned his own fine art gallery, and as a Principal leader provides governance and oversight of Principal’s Corporate Art Collection.

Darren Jirsa, an Iowa native, completed his undergraduate education at the University of Iowa, and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 1995 and was honored for scholastic achievement by induction into the national dental honor society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon. He began private practice at Iowa Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, P.C. in July of 2000.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dr. Jirsa holds staff privileges at Iowa Methodist, Blank Children’s, Iowa Lutheran, and Methodist West hospitals. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Iowa Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons as well as being a Fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Dr. Jirsa is an avid supporter of many civic and community organizations. He is an advocate for arts and culture in the metro as well as the revitalization of downtown Des Moines. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Des Moines Art Center, as well as the Board of Directors of the Des Moines Social Club.

Emily Kessinger has 10+ years of experience in business development, marketing, and project management. Emily works at The Weitz Company as a Sr. Business Development Manager, focusing on higher education, aviation, and public private partnership projects across the country. Prior to Weitz, she worked for several non-profits and in the art world of Chicago.  Emily also serves as a consultant for Group Creative Services, focusing primarily on arts & culture plans. Emily earned degrees in English (BA) and Organizational Development/Marketing (MBA) from the University of Denver (DU). Emily is a co-founder at Flag of Des Moines and on several committees and boards that serve the Des Moines region.

After 40 years in the family business, John Krantz retired as President of the acclaimed Adventureland Park in October of 2017 to pursue his many passions which include playing the piano, travel and supporting the arts. Opening in 1974, Adventureland Park has become Iowa’s largest and most complete family resort complex. Krantz is currently on the Board of Directors of Hoyt Sherman Foundation. He served on the Des Moines Arts Center Board of Trustees for nine years, was subsequently designated as Honorary Trustee and is actively involved with committee work and other Art Center activities. He is very passionate about jazz music and founded the CJC Jazz Hall Of Fame in 2001 through his work with the non-profit, Greater Des Moines Community Jazz Center. He has been involved and served on boards and committees with numerous other art related organizations in the metro area over the past decades.

Patricia (Pat) McFarland spent most of her legal career with Wells Fargo (formerly Norwest) in various leadership positions, including many years as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Wells Fargo Financial. Her later years at the company included a broader range of responsibilities as Deputy General Counsel of Wells Fargo & Co.

Pat earned Bachelor of Business Administration and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Iowa.

Throughout her career and retirement, Pat has been active with many arts related and human services non-profits. She currently serves on the Fundraising Council for Mainframe Studios and recently rotated off the Des Moines Art Center’s Board of Trustees after many years of service. She was previously on the Des Moines Arts Festival’s Board of Directors, serving as Chair from 2010-2012 and served on the Advisory Board of the University of Iowa Museum of Art.

Pat’s previous volunteer work includes board positions with the Central Iowa Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Family Counseling Center and a mentoring role with the Dream Team, a non-profit focused on helping at-risk teens.

Kathy Murphy retired from an active career as Vice President of Community Affairs for Wells Fargo in Iowa. Her responsibilities included managing charitable giving, volunteerism, board placement and the company’s annual community support campaign. She studied at Connecticut College on the southern New England coast and earned her undergraduate degree in English at the University of Iowa.

Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 1998, she managed Percival Galleries in Des Moines for two years, and was a senior manager for Younkers chain of retail stores. Her support and governance of non-profits has included service on the board of directors of Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation, a historic cultural center in Des Moines. Currently, she serves on the United Way of Central Iowa Income Cabinet and Des Moines Water Works campaign executive committee, as well as the board of directors of Mainframe Studios (originally DesMoinesArts), a workspace for artists.

Kimberly Shadur is a Palliative Care and Hospice Nurse with Unity Care at Home. She has been managing the care of patients with newly diagnosed chronic or terminal illnesses since 2006, also she provides education of disease processes, facilitates health care decisions, and manages symptoms. Her work focuses on quality of life for patients and family members interested in living life to the fullest, as well as those preparing for the end of their life.

While earning a Master of Public Health (1981) at Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, Shadur worked as Project Director for the Yale University School of Medicine. From 1982-89, she worked as the Senior Management Consultant for American Practice Management, Inc. in New York, New York and Walnut Creek, California. She was Director of Surgical and Anesthesia Services (1989-93) in Mason City, Iowa, and Vice President of Nursing and Operations (1993-94) at Universal Pediatric Services, Inc, in Urbandale, Iowa.

From 1994-2000, she was Director of Organizational Innovation for Quorum Health Resources, L.L.C. in Brentwood, Tennessee, where she partnered with medical center board, executive leadership, middle management and medical staff to re-engineering business processes. In 2000, she became Principal of Shadur & Shadur Simple Solutions, L.L.C., Des Moines, Iowa, and for five years, helped organizations define and achieve a new level of performance through benchmarking and process redesign.

In addition, Shadur was president (2004-06) of the Project Elijah Foundation where she directed development of the organization to raise funds for child victims of domestic abuse, neglect and abandonment.

Shadur is active in community organizations and has served on governing boards of Orchard Place, a child guidance center, Des Moines Metro Opera, Temple B’nai Jeshuran, Project Elijah Foundation, and Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. She and her husband are private collectors of contemporary art.

After graduating from University of Nebraska-Lincoln with degrees in design and architecture (B.S., Design/Architectural Studies, 2001; Master of Architecture, 2003) Terrill began her career in practice in Des Moines, working in several highly recognized Iowa design firms. She joined MA Architecture as an Associate Principal in 2022.

Jessica has significant experience with a variety of private and public sector building types including single and multi-family residences, corporate office buildings, higher education facilities, and transportation projects. Her design sensibility extends beyond architecture in her work to promote and enable significant public artworks, using her architectural expertise in collaboration with artists, community leaders, and nonprofit entities to realize the installation of art by internationally recognized artists in public spaces.

Jessica served as the first female editor of Iowa Architect Magazine in 2016. She was honored as being the first recipient of the Iowa Young Architect Award in 2015 and as a recipient of a National Young Architects Award, presented by the American Institute of Architects in 2019.

Jessica’s volunteer experience has included the After School Arts Program, GDMPAF Project Spaces, Iowa Architect Magazine Editorial Board, University of Nebraska College of Architecture Professional Advisory Council.

Wells has firmly situated herself within art and advocacy work and is best known for her public works investigating race, history, stereotypes, accessibility, and human experiences. Wells’ practice engages with individuals of all abilities, through various mediums, interdisciplinary art workshops, and talks to create new modes of working through the arts that are inclusive and representational.

From 2012–2020 Wells served as a Certified Alcohol and Substance Use Counselor for the state of Iowa. In 2020, she founded Artists X Advocacy Mentorship Program (AXA), an annual paid, young adult mentorship program, with initial funding from an Iowa Arts & Culture Resilience grant. The focus of AXA is to bring awareness to art as a career option, especially for people living with disabilities. In 2021, Wells was a TEDx speaker on The Power of Public Art and the lecturing artist for Al-Quds Bard College for Arts and Sciences in East Jerusalem for The Resistance Course on “The Disability Art, Revolution, and Advocacy in the USA. In 2022 she became the first Harkin Institute Artist Fellow. In 2023 Wells represented IA/US on panel at the United Nations, Austria, speaking on inclusive public arts.

A native of Iowa, Linda Westergaard grew up Des Moines’ Union Park area and graduated from North High School.

In 2017, Westergaard was elected to the Des Moines City Council. She has a long history of being active in neighborhood, community, and civic organizations. She was active in and president of Douglas Acres Neighborhood Association for more than 19 years, and was a founding member of Northeast Neighbors, as well as Northeast Neighbors and Friends, a larger neighborhood organization that encourages residents to come together and work for the betterment of all neighborhoods in Ward 2.

Prior to joining the Des Moines City Council, Westergaard served on the board of Polk County Housing Trust Fund, the Greater East Side Development Corporation and the East/South Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. For 13 years, she served on the city of Des Moines’ Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Westergaard is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services First Realty and has been a top producing agent every year since becoming a Realtor.  Westergaard was named Realtor of the Year in 2005 and serves on the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors Board of Directors and is currently the Past President of the association.  She serves on State and National Real Estate Committees.

Westergaard serves on the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden board, the Des Moines Playhouse board, Rebuilding Together board, and is a member of the  Metropolitan Planning Organization. She has also worked with 

Westergaard has worked with the Parks Area Foundation as they raise money for the stage that will be built in Riverview Park that will help bring revitalization to several neighborhoods.  She has worked closely with the Fuel UP First Program serving breakfast every Monday of the School year to East High Students. She has also served as a Community Ambassador with the Des Moines Police Department and has completed the Police Departments Citizens Academy.