Board Members - The Ames Foundation

Board Members

Chris Anderson, Chair

Chris moved to Ames in 1994 to attend graduate school at Iowa State University. He graduated with master and doctoral degrees in Agricultural Meteorology and worked in weather and climate change science until 2016. He is employed with Renewable Energy Group where he is on the Philanthropy and Wellness committees. His community involvement has included being a coach for softball and T-ball, a pack leader for Cub Scout Pack 196, a board member for Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance, and contributing as a volunteer to support efforts at Food at First, Collegiate United Methodist Church, annual fall benefit concert for Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance, Ames Cyclone and Aquatic Club, and Ames tree planting.

Chris and Stephanie Hamilton were married in Ames in 2000. They love the friendliness of the Ames community and the impact, activities, and beauty of Iowa State University. Chris and Stephanie have volunteered at Ames schools and have supported initiatives to improve Ames Community School District. Spare time activities include walks in any of Ames beautiful parks, biking on crushed rock rural roads, other outdoor activities, traveling, and reading.

Danielle BrownWolf, Vice Chair

Danielle BrownWolf serves as the VP Marketing & Communications Officer for VisionBank where she focuses on community outreach and reinvestment activities. She moved to Ames in 2012 to attend Iowa Sate University where she graduated with degrees in English, Marketing, and Technical Communications. Danielle is passionate about volunteering both personally and professionally. She is actively involved with several community focused organizations including Home Inc., the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, Variety Children’s Charity, and the Blank Children’s Hospital Foundation.

She and her husband now live in Huxley with their daughter, Addison, and overtly hyper border collie, Hash.  In her spare time, you can often find Danielle and her family on one of Iowa’s many local bike trails or cheering on the Cyclones at whatever sporting events that happen to be in season.

Cathy Adams, Treasurer

Cathy is SVP of Wealth Management at Community State Bank.  She received her BS from Iowa State University in Math and Economics. She moved to Des Moines after graduation but in 2007 she and her family had the opportunity to move back to Ames. Cathy and her husband, Dan, feel lucky to have raised their two children (Jacob and Sophia) here and continue to enjoy the variety of activities and involvement the Ames community offers. Cathy has been active in the community through the years working with several organizations including the Boys & Girls Club of Story County, the Gilbert Education Foundation, Gilbert Boy Scout Troop 157 and Story County Go Red for Women. She enjoys watching Cyclone sports, reading and traveling to see her children and other family.

Tammy Stegman, Immediate Past Chair

Tammy is an Ames native with some brief excursions to Cedar Falls and the Chicago area. Her and her husband, Phil, returned to Ames in 1997 and have been here ever since. Tammy worked at Iowa State University in Career Services 2007-2021. She is now at Mary Greeley Medical Center managing the student experience for 500+ students that come to MGMC to learn and grow. She considers herself lucky to prepare students professionally and connect them with employers for internships and post-graduation positions. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master's of Education from Iowa State University.

Tammy's family includes her husband and two daughters (Josie and Jenna). Between the four of them, they've attended all 3 regent universities in Iowa. In her spare time, she likes to try all things new, hang out with her family (and cats), visit local coffee shops, collect coffee mugs, and read!

Kyle Woiwood

Kyle is a Tax Manager at LWBJ. He has lived in Ames since 2015, previously living in Minneapolis working at PwC in the Financial Services Tax Department. He graduated from UNI with a degree in Accounting and passed the CPA exam in 2011. He and his wife, Chelsea, have 2 dogs, a wirehaired mix Zoey and a dashshund Dobby. He enjoys visiting family and friends, golfing, and trying new craft breweries. He is the current Treasurer of the Volunteer Center of Story County, graduated member of Leadership Ames Class XXX, and a member of the Iowa Society of CPAs- Tax Committee. His favorite thing about Ames/Story County is how active the community is, both physically and professionally. There are so many opportunities to get involved in various groups and organizations in the community.

Tanner Winterhof

Tanner Winterhof was born and raised on a swine and row-crop farm in NW Iowa, Tanner attended AIB College of Business in Des Moines where he earned a degree in business administration and financial services. He spent the next 15 years working in the banking sector, gaining financial insights and later applying them to the farming sector.

Tanner advocates for the adoption of tech and data-driven strategies to improve efficiency and environmental stewardship to the audience of the Farm4Profit Podcast as an outlet of Farm4Profit Media.  He, his wife, and partners recently opened the recording studio and small event venue space named “Studio 205” in Slater, IA.

When he's not knee-deep in work, Tanner is actively involved as a board member for several charitable organizations like the Ames Foundation.  In his free time, he can often be found swinging clubs on the golf course or sipping on some new bourbons.

Bonnie Brown

Bonnie Brown is a Mortgage Lender at South Story Bank & Trust. She loves helping families realize the dream of homeownership. Bonnie and her husband, Ryan, have lived and worked in Ames and surrounding communities for over 30 years and love the Iowa State Cyclones. Ryan owns a construction business doing handyman work, maintenance, and remodeling. Their daughter, Amber, her husband Mike, and son Adam all went to Iowa State University. Adam is currently in Japan serving for the US Navy as a Nuclear Engineer for the past 5 years. Their other son, Austin, helps run and operate the family construction business.

Bonnie loves spending time with family including her two adorable granddaughters (Sophia and Sierra), traveling, camping, boating, and remodeling homes. Her previous board experience includes American Women’s Business Association, Mortgage Professionals of Iowa, DMACC Management and Marketing Club and Huxley Business Association. She currently is serving on the Randall City Council, Ames Chamber Ambassador and is a recent graduate of Leadership Ames XXXV.

Joni Kellen

Joni Kellen is a wealth advisor at Northwest Bank where she focuses on advanced planning for her clients, specializing in wealth transfer and tax efficient strategies. She and her husband, Keith Lamfers, moved to Ames in 2021 from Le Mars; both are northwest Iowa natives. Their children, Jozef and Libby (plus her husband Adam) are all Iowa State alums. They are also blessed with two grandchildren, John and Lena.

Joni enjoys cycling, reading, traveling, and cheering for the Cyclones. She loves being involved in community, wherever she has lived. Her past board experience has included work in the areas of arts, public library, community trail development and school board leadership. She currently serves on the board of Raising Readers in Story County, Parish Life Committee at St. Cecilia, is a Chamber Ambassador and is a recent graduate of Leadership Ames XXXV. She holds a bachelor of arts degree and master of education, both from Iowa State University.

Arka Ghosh

Arka is a professor of Statistics at Iowa State University. Arka grew up in India and came to North Carolina for graduate studies. He has been living in Ames since 2005. Arka and his wife, Pooja,  have two kids (14 and 11 years old), one dog, and two cats. He likes to play tennis and is active in the local art community. He is a potter and a member of Creative Artists Studios of Ames (CASA). 

Barb Vincent

Barb grew up in Wellsburg, a small rural town in central Iowa. She studied for 2 years at Dordt University and then 2 years at DMACC in Ankeny. She moved to Ames after getting married in 1999 and has been a resident ever since. She and her husband live north of Ames now and their 2 boys attend Gilbert while the 2 dogs keep watch over the house while everyone is gone.

Barb works at Ames Christian School as the Development Director, planning events and fundraising. She has been part of the school for 11 years, as a parent first and now as an employee.

Spare time activities include, “bus” driver, short order cook, dog trainer, cleaning lady, laundromat attendant, referee and scorekeeper for intense basketball games at home.

She has been a Chamber Ambassador for 4 years and loves being involved in the community meeting new people and seeing how Ames has grown in the last 20 years!

Reneé Klaus

Reneé Klaus is an Ames native who graduated from Ames High & then went on to Iowa State University and earned a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. In 2020 she decided to venture into a new profession; receiving a real estate license becoming a REALTOR.

Reneé has two daughters who live in Ames, Abigayle and Olivia; along with her parents John and Carolyn. Reneé is looking forward to being a second generation family member to serve on The Ames Foundation; Carolyn, her mother served successfully for several years. Renee really enjoys our community and all it has to offer. She will bring her unique spirit and high energy level to the board.

Jenny Arends

Jenny Arends is the Branch Manager at the Main location of First National Bank. She grew up on a farm in SW Iowa and was born a Cyclone, visiting Ames for football/basketball games and wrestling meets often as a child. She moved to Ames in 2002 to study Psychology at ISU. After meeting her husband at a local bar where they both worked during school, they decided to make Ames their permanent home. She has volunteered at many local events and is excited to join the board to continue to support the Ames community in making it a great place to live, work, and play.

In their spare time, Jenny and her husband Tim enjoy playing with their 2 golden retrievers, Rosie and Emmett, often described as being aggressively friendly dogs by Tim. They love taking their ’97 Jeep Wrangler on back roads during the nicer months of the year, finding hidden gem restaurants in small Iowa towns, and exploring the countryside.

Chase Abner

Chase is the Director of Send Network Iowa. He received his BA in Communications from Morehead State University in his native state of Kentucky. Chase has worked in the non-profit industry since 2005. That work brought him to Ames in 2015, where he has fallen in love with the parks, downtown culture, and the music community. He has been a volunteer with Downtown Ames, Ames Animal Shelter, local schools, and various churches. Chase is a graduate of Leadership Ames XXXVI, which brought him to the Ames Foundation. Chase and his three children live in Ames. He is an avid gardener, cook, and musician.

 

Xena Jolly

Xena Jolly is a Sales Representative for Copyworks in Campustown, Ames, with over 21 years of experience. Xena was born in Ames, grew up in Northwest Iowa, went to Iowa State, and spent 10 years in Orange County, California, before settling back in Ames in 2008.

When not spending time attending or working for Iowa State athletic events, Xena can be found volunteering with the Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance Board of Directors, Ames Chamber Board of Directors, 100 Women Who Care Ames Leadership team, FUEL of Story County, Ankeny Rotary, Ankeny Young Professionals and the previous Campustown Action Association.

In her quiet time, she can be found with her rescue dog, Gigi the Chihuahua.

Melissa Muschick

Melissa and her family live in Nevada, where she and her husband grew up. As a mother of two kids, she is actively involved in community and professional organizations in Nevada and Ames. Melissa is the Director of Partner & Business Development for Discover Ames where she works with local partners to bring in and support events and tourism in the Ames MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area). As the former President of FUEL Story County (Ames Chamber Young Professionals Group), current President of the Nevada Booster Board and Vice President of the Friendship Ark Homes Board, she continues to be involved in organizations that contribute to the growth and development of the communities that surround her. Melissa has a passion to know people and is always willing to lend a hand to help. She can be described as a person that rarely says "No" when asked and takes great joy in seeing others grow around her.

 

Kellie Olson

Kellie is an Iowa native and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Psychology from Iowa State. She fell in love with the Ames community during college and decided to stay in Ames after graduation. She currently serves as the Director of Engineering Career Services at ISU, and is passionate about helping students market their skills and connecting them to potential employers. In addition to her full-time job, Kellie also owns her own company, Keep It Organized, LLC, which focuses on helping people reach their goals through organization and efficiency. In her spare time, Kellie enjoys playing volleyball through the City of Ames leagues, hanging out with her dog Dany, traveling, and reading. 

Justine Jahn

Justine grew up in small town Iowa but landed in Ames after graduate school.  She and her husband fell in love with the community and have decided to raise their family here.  They have three children together and enjoy spending time at many of the city’s parks, the farmer’s market, and various school and community events.  Justine currently serves at the Clinical Manager for ChildServe.  By training, she is a licensed physical therapist, but through her leadership role she is afforded the opportunity to bring her passion for special healthcare access to life.  Justine enjoys being outside, hiking, bird watching, and is always planning her next trip to explore a new destination. 


LIAISONS TO THE BOARD

Shannon Thiele

Ames Chamber of Commerce Staff Liaison 

Shannon grew up in Marion, IA and graduated from Iowa State University in 2016. She now works at the Ames Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Membership Retention & Affiliate Programming. She is the staff liaison for the Ames Foundation, the FUEL Program for Young Professionals, and the Ambassador Program. Shannon has considered Ames "home" since attending ISU and can officially consider Ames home after buying her first house with her husband, Justin, in June 2022. Together they have an English Mastiff named Matilda.

Cathy Brown

Sarah Lawrence

Ex-Officio Member

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kansas, and a Masters in Sociology from Southern Illinois University. In 2018, she relocated to Ames from Carbondale, IL where she gained valuable experience working as an instructor for the School of Architecture at Southern Illinois University, and eventually joined the City of Carbondale staff as a City Planner.  The combination of university and city experience is serving her well in her new role as a Campus Planner at Iowa State University where she also participates in the International Town and Gown Association, and in community associations such as the Ames Area MPO Technical Committee. Sarah is excited to continue to learn about, and engage with the Ames community.

 

 

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