DMIHN is blessed to have a committed board which is dedicated to helping homeless families in our community.
NOTE: DMIHN is in need of talented and dedicated individuals to serve on the Board. If you have a passion to help homeless families this may be the right opportunity for you. Contact Jim Cain - Network Director for more information.
Angie Arthur
Angie Arthur has been involved the Des Moines Area IHN since its inception in 2003. She started as a member of the steering committee and now serves on the IHN Board. Volunteering for IHN through her church is another way she supports the organization. Angie believes that IHN is a positive organization that helps homeless families regain their independence while building upon their life and decision-making skills.
Angie is employed in the Health Division at the Principal Financial Group. She participated in the 2008-2009 Community Leadership Program through the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.
Ann Blaser
Ann Blaser joined the board in January 2011 and is chair of the Congregation Relations Committee.
Ann is interested in the IHN program because of her belief that it supports three very important opportunities within families: provides shelter, safety, and hospitality and supports homeless families who have high hopes for an improved future; encourages multiple traditions of faith to work in unity to support our communities most vulnerable; and challenges individual volunteers and host congregations to become personally involved in local services beyond financial support.
“By volunteering through the IHN program at our local church, our family has had the opportunity to make new friends with both guests and volunteers in the program. It is also a fantastic way for our family to provide service together as a family.”
In her spare time, Ann enjoys reading and sewing.
Ann is employed at Sammons Financial Group and is married with two teenage daughters.
Carlyn Crowe
Carlyn Crowe joined the DMIHN board in January 2011 and is a member of the Public Relations and Marketing Committee.
Carlyn's involvement with other outreach programs at her home church, Westminster Presbyterian where DMIHN's offices and Day Center are located, inspired her to become involved with the IHN program. She is drawn to the IHN program because of how all the churches pull together to fulfill this mission.
"I have been involved with communications and public relations for non-profit organizations for many years now. I can assist with writing, publications, and publicity. I also have training in nutrition and am willing to assist the host churches and the IHN families learn about nutrition and help them practice healthy eating habits.
In her spare time Carolyn enjoys living a healthy lifestyle. Her hobbies include biking, running, and photography.
Carlyn is the Internship Coordinator at Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication and is married with two children.
Sam Gelb
Sam Gelb is a member of the Des Moines IHN board and he has a passion for not for profit organizations. He has served on the boards of the South Suburban YMCA and the Better Business Bureau for several years and his wife is the Executive Director of the Iowa Environmental Council. Sam’s parents, through their modeling, inspired him to volunteer in community affairs and to empathize with all persons, particularly those whose needs are most basic. He hopes to give as much of himself to Des Moines IHN as do the staff, hundreds of church volunteers, the church organizations themselves and the other members of the board.
Sam has been employed by The Graham Group, Inc. for the past 18 years. He and his wife Marian reside in Des Moines and their two daughters attend the University of Iowa.
Teresa McLaughlin
Teresa McLaughlin has been on the DMIHN board since July 2010 and is chair of the Public Relations and Marketing Committee as well as serves on the Development Committee.
Teresa is interested in the IHN program because the program serves as a bridge to help families stay together when life brings overbearing challenges and she believes in the values of the faith based roots of the organization.
"It is a local organization that focuses on helping families with children learn the skills to regain their independence and remain independent successfully.
In her spare time, Teresa enjoys physical fitness and lots of outdoor activities such as gardening, walking and biking.
Teresa works in Corporate & Marketing Communications at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. She is married with two children.
Larry Mitchell
Lawrence Mitchell joined the DMIHN board in December 2009 and is a member of the Public Relations and Marketing Committee.
Larry’s family were guests in the DMIHN program, and because of the success he’s encountered, he feels called to use that experience and his abilities to give back and help change lives.
“I think of myself as a people person and I am always eager to meet someone new and put a smile on their face.”
In his spare time he loves spending quality time with his family. He serves on the Deacon Board at his church. He also plays the drums and keyboard in his church’s choir and youth choir.
Larry works in the private security field and is married with three children.
Sandra Rogers
Sandra Rogers joined the DMIHN board in July 2010, is the board Secretary and member of the Business Operations Committee.
Sandy was drawn to DMIHN out of the desire to help families with children develop a stable environment and become self-sufficient.
'I love the idea of working within our community to help families with children get back on their feet."
In her spare time, Sandy enjoys spending time with her family, reading, scrapbooking and riding as a passenger with her husband on their motorcycle.
Sandy assists in running the family business, Rist and Associates, and is married with two sons.
Bob Shaw
“Working with IHN provides the opportunity to put a name and a face to homelessness in our community. When the issue becomes personal, the demand for creative solutions grows.”
Bob Shaw has long been a champion of the underdog, practicing newborn intensive care for 25 years until retirement in 2003. Since then, he has pursued Master Gardening and volunteering through his church and serves on the boards of Blank Children’s Hospital, Children & Families of Iowa, the Des Moines Area Religious Council Foundation, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa and DMIHN. His wife, Becky, is an OB/GYN with Iowa Heath Physicians. They enjoy music, gardening, and golf.
Julie VanWiel
Julie VanWiel has been an Iowa resident all of her life, so she feels called and blessed to work with an organization that serves other Iowans.
Julie lives in Johnston with her husband and two daughters. Julie is an employee of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. in Johnston and she attends Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.
Sandra Zenk
Sandra Zenk is an attorney, with more than twenty-five years of professional experience. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 1997, she directed the employee benefits administration and consulting unit of a public accounting firm in Des Moines and acted as in-house counsel to insurance and financial service companies in Des Moines.
Sandra asked to be part of the IHN organization in an effort to be used in a mission that has an immediate and tangible impact on the welfare of the people in our community. She is impressed by the network of volunteers that IHN has brought together, coordinated and supported through their churches and guided by their faith in action. IHN is the ultimate opportunity for one person to make a difference in the lives of real people in our city who need help at a critical time in their lives.
