Presenters

Rebecca Batcheller

Rebecca Batcheller

Program Director

Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute

For over 27 years, the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute (GDMLI) has been a catalyst for ensuring the constant development and injection of new leadership into our community. It began in 1979 as a study on central Iowa’s leadership status has now become to be an incubator of some of Des Moines most respected leaders. The Institute’s ultimate goals are to motivate participants to a higher level of community awareness and involvement as well as ensure that Central Iowa has a strong flow of leadership well into the future.

Since the addition of Batcheller in 2006, GDMLI has increased nominations, applications, and alumni engagement.  Batcheller was a leader in the development of a new curriculum structure that was launched in 2008 and has presented curriculum development at the national Community Leadership Association conference.

In addition to serving for the national Community Leadership Association conference planning committee, she also volunteers her time at various organizations including serving as a national representative for Chi Omega Fraternity as well as local chapters of the March of Dimes and Make-a-Wish Foundation.  Batcheller was named to the Des Moines Business Record's 2010 Forty Under 40 class.

Todd McDonald

Todd McDonald, PHR

Todd McDonald has been in the human resource and training industry for over 20 years. He served as Executive Vice President for American Media Inc., where he worked for 10 years. In his tenure with AMI, he worked in multiple capacities including management of the product development, human resource, training, marketing, and sales areas.

In 1999, Todd left AMI and founded ATW Training & Consulting.

Thought of as being results-oriented, some of McDonald’s other accomplishments include:

·          Developing and delivering training programs and speeches to audiences on a national and international basis.

·          Creating over 500 off-the-shelf training products including audio, video, print-based and computer-based training programs dealing with subjects such as management, leadership, communications skills, legal issues, customer service and more.

·          Authoring two books: one on communication between managers and their employees, I Wish You Would Just… and the other on time management, How to Find 100 Extra Minutes a Day.

McDonald speaks for organizations and groups on topics such as coaching, customer service, change management, time utilization, and leadership.

Shirley Poertner

Shirley Poertner

Shirley Poertner is President of Poertner Consulting Group, a leadership development firm headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. She brings more than twenty years of experience in strategic planning, organization development and leadership skills to help

individuals, teams, and organizations increase their effectiveness, achieve bottomline results, and become measurably more vital. Her understanding of the complex nature of organizations and their leaders is central to her consulting approach

Background

Shirley has worked in a variety of industries such as finance, energy, manufacturing, publishing, insurance, telecommunications, and agribusiness. Prior to starting her own company in 1994, she was Manager, Training and Development at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a DuPont Company. Before that, she spent five years as an internal consultant at Meredith Corporation, publisher of Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies Home Journal, and dozens of other magazines. In the 1980’s, Poertner was VP, Human Resources for First Interstate of Iowa, Inc. (now Bank of America, Iowa).

Clients continually recognize her ability to help them achieve hard-hitting results in the areas where they need it the most. Whether coaching an executive oneon-one or facilitating an in-house workshop, Shirley is praised for her engaging, passionate style and her bottom-line focus.

VitalSmarts Associate and Master Trainer

Poertner is Iowa’s VitalSmarts Associate. She works in association with the authors of the three New York Times bestselling books: Crucial Conversations®, Crucial Confrontations™, and Influencer: The Power to Change Anything™ to build individuals’ skills in talking about tough issues. Shirley has extensive experience introducing and teaching these crucial skills to audiences ranging from small

executive retreats to large leadership groups within corporate settings. She’s in good company, with more than 300 of the Fortune 500 realizing quick, hard-hitting results through these award-winning programs.

Education

Shirley received her master’s degree in Leadership and Development from Drake University and later served as adjunct faculty. She is a member of ASTD, SHRM, Association of Business and Industry, Professional Developers of Iowa, and Rotary International, and serves on the board of ChildServe.

Steve Bogle

Stephen “Steve” E. Bogle

Executive Officer to the Commissioner Iowa Department of Public Safety & Brigadier General in the Iowa Army National Guard

Steve has over thirty-four years of professional law enforcement experience with the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Des Moines Police Department (DMPD), combined with over thirty-four years of military experience in the Iowa National Guard (IANG). He started his law enforcement career with the DMPD as a Police Cadet and then assigned as a Senior Police Officer on the midnight shift in the Uniform Division, and later as an Investigator in the Vice and Narcotics Unit. 

In 1988 Steve was hired as a Special Agent with the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) of the Iowa DPS. Steve initially worked major crimes to include homicide, robbery, sexual abuse, kidnapping, and other violent crimes and later received an assignment in Intelligence. He was promoted to Special Agent in Charge in 1994 and had a variety of assignments, to include the DPS Intelligence Bureau, DPS Plans and Research Bureau, DPS Homeland Security Coordinator, DCI Sex Offender Registry Unit, and then was promoted to DCI Assistant Director of Field Operations and Gaming. Steve was promoted to the Director of DCI in 2006 prior to receiving his current assignment in 2008 as the Executive Officer to the Commissioner of the Iowa DPS. 

Steve currently holds the rank of Brigadier General (BG) in the IANG and has served for over 34 years. He began his military service as an enlisted soldier with the 186^th Military Police Company in 1975. BG Bogle has commanded at the company, battalion, brigade, and Joint Task Force level, and also served in numerous staff positions at each level. He has commanded aviation, medical, and logistic units, and currently serves as the Land Component Commander of the Iowa Army National Guard.

Steve holds a Bachelors Degree in Pre-Law from Grand View University and a Masters of Strategic Studies Degree from the U.S. Army War College. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and holds a Graduate Certificate of Achievement from the University of Virginia. Steve is a graduate of the Leadership Iowa class of 2004-2005 (the best class ever) and he has attended numerous other courses for both his law enforcement and military profession.

Bob Riley

John Soresen

John K. Sorensen, CAE

President & CEO

Iowa Bankers Association • Johnston

On February 1, 1997, John Sorensen was named President & CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association. Besides his responsibilities with the IBA, Sorensen provides direction to the Association's subsidiary companies, including Iowa Bankers Insurance and Services, Inc., Iowa Bankers Mortgage Corporation, and IBA Securities. These organizations offer services to Iowa banks and their customers. Sorensen joined the IBA in 1986.

A Corwith, Iowa, native, Sorensen is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa. He achieved the professional designation of Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 1991, meeting requisite standards of experience and education in the field of Association Management. He is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management program held at Stanford University.

Sorensen is past chairman of the American Bankers Association (ABA) State Association Division and has served on the ABA Board of Directors. He has also served on the ABA Government Relations Council and on the Board of the ABA Insurance Association. He is a member of the Board and Executive Committee of Shazam, Inc., Iowa’s electronic funds transfer network. He is also past Chairman of the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin.