Iowa Business Hall of Fame Honors Cara K. Heiden, Daniel J. Houston and Dan Rupprecht as 2019 Inductees

GREATER DES MOINES, IOWA (Oct. 11, 2019) – The Greater Des Moines Committee will recognize Cara K. Heiden, Daniel J. Houston and Dan Rupprecht as the 2019 inductees to the Iowa Business Hall of Fame. The inductees will be honored during the Greater Des Moines Committee’s Annual Black Tie Dinner to be held on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at The Meadows Events and Conference Center. The Iowa Business Hall of Fame honors the achievements of Iowans who have made outstanding contributions to the development and enhancement of Iowa’s business climate.

Cara K. Heiden

Cara K. Heiden is retired co-president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (WFHM), a Wells Fargo company and the nation's leading provider of residential mortgages. Heiden’s responsibilities included joint leadership and strategic direction of the overall business. Heiden focused on leading WFHM to continually achieve outstanding financial goals and nationally promoting the benefits of homeownership. Asked to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives and address numerous other prestigious forums on responsible lending and servicing, Heiden became a national advocate of making sure consumers are treated fairly throughout the mortgage industry. Heiden was frequently recognized in U.S. Banker magazine’s “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking,” ranking #7 the year before her retirement. Heiden serves on the Board of Directors for GuideOne Insurance, Vermeer Corporation and Casey’s General Stores, Inc. She currently or has chaired, led capital campaigns or served in other leadership roles for many organizations, including United Way of Central Iowa, the Iowa State University Foundation, the ISU College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council, the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, the Capital Crossroads regional vision plan for Central Iowa, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Lutheran Family Service and the Iowa Innovation Corporation, which she was appointed to by Gov. Terry Branstad.

Daniel J. Houston

Daniel J. Houston is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Principal. He is responsible for overall management of the company. Houston joined Principal in 1984 in Dallas. He has held several management positions, being named senior Vice President in 2000, Executive Vice President in 2006 and President of Retirement and Income Solutions in 2008. He was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 2014 before assuming his current role in 2015. Houston is a member of several boards, including Greater Des Moines Partnership, Employee Benefits Research Institute, American Council of Life Insurers, Iowa State University Business School Dean’s Advisory Council, Partnership for a Healthier America and Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. He has appeared before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging to discuss the importance of educating the workforce about the financial needs in retirement. Houston joined the joint forum of U.S. Senate Committees on Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to discuss “Private-Sector Retirement Savings Plans: What Does the Future Hold?”  He also authored a chapter in “The Upside of Aging” published by John Wiley & Sons in 2014, on the keys to achieving financial security in retirement.

Dan Rupprecht

Dan Rupprecht is the Founder and Chairman of R&R Realty Group, a full-service commercial real estate company based in West Des Moines. Since founding R&R in 1985, Rupprecht has grown the company into an organization that owns and manages more than 8 million square feet of commercial real estate in a variety of Midwest markets. Rupprecht began his real estate career at Principal in 1967, where he worked on well-known projects including Civic Center Court Apartments, East Grand Office Park and the Downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel. Rupprecht has also been significantly involved with the Iowa State University Research Park in Ames. He was an early member of the initiative’s Board of Directors and as such, was a key player in the development of several buildings within the park. Rupprecht has served as a Pleasant Hill City Council member, a member of the Iowa State University Athletics Advisory Council, and on the Board of Directors for Mid-American Savings Bank and the J.C. Nichols Company. He has also been involved with Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, the Diocese of Des Moines, United Way of Central Iowa, Make-A-Wish Iowa, Junior Achievement of Central Iowa, Anawim Housing and Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa.

Inductees to the Iowa Business Hall of Fame are selected on merit rather than endorsement. Past Hall of Fame honorees under the leadership of current Chair Tom Mahoney, Chairman and retired CEO of ITA Group Holdings, Inc., serve as the selection committee. The criteria for selection are as follows:

Business Leadership

The nominated individual should lead or have led a business that has provided valued jobs and economic development to his/her community and the state; creating both wealth and workforce opportunity.

Community Development Impact

The nominated individual should have made an impact by improving the economies of the community and the state through his/her leadership in such organizations as chambers of commerce, economic development organizations or centers of education.

Community Volunteerism/Leadership

The nominated individual should have personally given of his/her time and financial resources for the betterment of the community through support of charities and organizations.

Strategic Leadership

The nominated individual should have contributed to community economic growth through visionary leadership, community problem-solving,University of Iowa'. in Health Services Administration from Cornell University in Ithaca, tem in and building strategic alliances.

Business Recognition

The nominated individual should be recognized by his/her peers as a business leader.

About the Greater Des Moines Committee

The Greater Des Moines Committee was formed in 1907 by a group of 30 local business leaders. Today, the Committee consists of 123 members and provides an opportunity for business leaders to come together for an information exchange about important topics in the community, the state and the nation. The Committee founded the Iowa Business Hall of Fame in 1975 to honor the achievements of Iowans who have made outstanding contributions to the development and enhancement of Iowa’s business climate.

The Greater Des Moines Committee’s purpose is to encourage, promote, develop and protect commercial, manufacturing and other business interests of Greater Des Moines (DSM) and the state of Iowa. The Committee is comprised of CEO’s, or in the case of professional firms, the senior managing partner of DSM companies that have a vested interest in the growth and development of our community and state.